New Releases: 3/29-4/4

Tue. March 31st

 A Ghostly Grave (Ghostly Southern Mysteries #2) by Tonya Kappes

 Cursed by Ice (Immortal Brothers #2) by Jacquelyn Frank 

 The Dead Play On (Cafferty and Quinn #3) by Heather Graham

 The Diamond Conspiracy (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences #4) by Pip Ballantine, Tee Morris

 Etherworld (Elusion #2) by Claudia Gabel, Cheryl Klam 

 Hard as a Rock (Gargoyles #3) by Christine Warren 

 Hellbender (Fangborn #3) by Dana Cameron

 Instinct (Chronicles of Nick #6) by Sherrilyn Kenyon 

 Marked Fur Murder (Whiskey, Tango & Foxtrot Mystery #3) by Dixie Lyle 

 Night's Blaze (Dark Kings #5) by Donna Grant

 Sisters of Blood and Spirit (Sisters of Blood and Spirit #1) by Kady Cross

 Storm Warned (Grim #3) by Dani Harper 

 Twist (Loop #2) by Karen Akins

 The Unleashing (Call of Crows #1) by Shelly Laurenston

 The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die #2) by Danielle Paige

Happy Reading!

Promo: Being Emerald by Sylvia Ryan

*This is part of a bigger book tour, visit UFI on 3/18 and 3/27 to read about the other books and authors


Being Emerald
New Atlanta #3
Amazon.

 Brave, beautiful, and not easily controlled—even within a dictatorship—Laila Lewis has finally attained the prestige of an Emerald designation. Now only one thing is keeping her from her life’s goal of retrieving the Declaration of Independence and other priceless artifacts from the wild unknown of the Onyx Zone: the six weeks of training necessary to ensure her survival outside the city walls. But she won’t be going it alone.

After a year as a designated Emerald, rugged, sensual ex-cop Rock Rodgers is finally prepared to leave New Atlanta for good. Six weeks of training is the only thing standing between him and his next mission: to disappear into the freedom of the Onyx Zone where the long-armed rule of the Gov can’t reach him. But when the chemistry between him and Laila reaches a boiling point, with captivity just one false move away, will he have to escape on his own—or risk everything for a woman more tempting than freedom.

CONTENT WARNING: Contains explicit sexual language and content, and elements of BDSM that may be objectionable to some readers.

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Sylvia Ryan lives the life of an ordinary wife, mother and professional existing in Midwest Suburbia. She reads voraciously and loves to lose herself and fall head-over-heels for the alpha males in the novels she reads. When she gets the chance to shed the prim and proper persona of average wife and mother, her secret identity, Sylvia Ryan, emerges. This alter ego strives to write original ideas in extraordinary settings for her readers to remember long after the book has been read. Her dream is to transform her racy thoughts and naughty nature into tangible works of erotic fantasy for others’ secret identities to enjoy.

Ryan is the author of five novels, including Being Amber, Being Sapphire, and the soon-to-be-released Being Emerald of the New Atlanta series.

Find Sylvia and her books

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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Week in Review: 3/22-3/28

Books Received for Review

- Pirate's Alley by Suzanne Johnson- eARC- Bewitching Book Tours

Books I've Read

Alter of Reality by Mara Valderran
Total Surrender by Rebecca Zanetti
The Shattered Court by M.J. Scott
Witches be Burned by Stacey Kennedy
Pirate's Alley by Suzanne Johnson

Reviews Posted

Dark Alchemy by Laura Bickle
Locked in Stone by Tory Micheals
Recurve by Shannon Mayer

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

* Monday- Interview for Reaper Madness by Nessie Strange

* Tuesday- Guest Blog & Giveaway for Dark Alchemy by Laura Bickle

* Friday- Promo for Thane's Redemption by Nina Crespo

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* Did you know you can follow UFI on these other sites?

BlogLovin

Networked Blogs

Facebook
Pinterest Board
Tsu

You can also add me (as in Stacy) to your friends on these sites if you're on them.

Twitter

Goodreads

Librarything

Google+

 

 * I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Review: Dark Alchemy by Laura Bickle

Dark Alchemy

Author: Laura Bickle

Release Date: March 24, 2015

Publisher: Harper Voyager Impulse

ISBN:   0062389866

ISBN13: 9780062389862

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Review Copy Source: Edelweiss

Some secrets are better left buried …

Geologist Petra Dee arrives in Wyoming looking for clues to her father's disappearance years before. What she finds instead is Temperance, a dying Western town with a gold rush past and a meth-infested present. But under the town's dust and quiet, an old power is shifting. When bodies start turning up - desiccated and twisted skeletons that Petra can't scientifically explain - her investigations land her in the middle of a covert war between the town's most powerful interests. Petra's father wasn't the only one searching for the alchemical secrets of Temperance, and those still looking are now ready to kill. Armed with nothing but shaky alliances, a pair of antique guns, and a relic she doesn't understand, the only thing Petra knows for sure is that she and her coyote sidekick are going to have to move fast, or die next.

Although I did end up enjoying DARK ALCHEMY for the most part, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting it to be. I found some things in the story just plain odd and I had a hard time connecting to the main secondary character, Gabriel, who's story had a lot to do with the book as a whole.

Petra was easier to connect to and understand. Her reasons for being in Temperance and her past struggles were well explained. She knows what she needs and she fights to get it. The surprising addition of Sig, her familiar was fun. He was a crafty little coyote and I found myself looking forward to hearing what he was doing. I do wish we would have gotten more scenes with Petra doing her geology thing. There was plenty of action and danger involved which helped the story move along.

DARK ALCHEMY had a very unique storyline with a nice pace with a slightly hard to understand world if you're not paying total attention to the story. If you're looking for a bit of a different Urban Fantasy, it might be for you.

I gave it 3/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Promo: Thane's Redemption by Nina Crespo

*This is part of a bigger book tour, visit UFI on 3/18 and 3/30 to read about the other books and authors.


Thane's Redemption
The Song #1
Amazon

 The one night she'll want to remember, she'll be forced to forget.

It's been almost a year since Celine's fiancé's death and she's still struggling to move on. But when she meets Thane, the super hot lead singer of Thane’s Redemption, she finds her desire reawakening, and her heart opening. Soon one kiss leads them straight into a night of heated passion…

Thane’s unexpected connection with Celine only leaves him wanting more of her—but his life makes it impossible. For Thane's Redemption is just a cover for a deeper secret: A former Army Ranger presumed dead, Thane is really a time-traveling, covert operative charged with saving the world from disaster. Each jump through time forces those around him to forget he ever existed—and Celine would be no exception. But can time work in their favor to give them a second chance at love? Or will a choice Thane makes in the future put Celine in mortal danger?

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Nina Crespo lives in Florida where she indulges in her favorite passions — the beach, a good glass of wine, date night with her own real-life hero and dancing.

Her lifelong addiction to romance began in her teens while on a “borrowing spree” in her older sister’s bedroom where she discovered her first romance novel.

Curiosity about people and places, including what’s beyond the stars, fuels her writer’s imagination. Let Nina’s sensual contemporary stories and steamy paranormal tales feed your own addiction for love, romance, and happily ever after.

Find Nina and her books

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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Review: Locked in Stone by Tory Micheals

Locked in Stone

Author: Tory Michaels

Release Date: February 23, 2015

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Hearts of Stone Book #1

ISBN:   1508573131

ISBN13: 9781508573135

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Review Copy Source: NetGalley

Her enemy is her only hope...

Rose Johnson's adoptive mother was murdered, and Rose is next. She may be the last gargoyle in the world—the last being who stands between this world and the evils of Otherworld. In order to keep her existence a continued secret, Rose needs to find the stone that holds her adoptive mother's soul. Which means enlisting the help of her enemies the Sentinels...

Sentinel Cal Levesque never forgave himself for failing Rose's family years ago. Seeing Rose alive is shock enough, until the stunningly beautiful gargoyle attacks him upon sight. As they strike an uneasy peace—and unexpected and escalating attraction—Cal knows he'll have to tell Rose who really betrayed her family. And with Rose's life in greater danger than ever, Cal has a chance to make up for the past...as long he doesn't fall in love.

LOCKED IN STONE brought along interesting characters, a fast paced story and action along the way.

Considering that LOCKED IN STONE is a paranormal romance, I wasn't totally sold on the relationship between Rose and Cal. Of course they were a hot together when they finally got together, but I didn't feel the connection I was hoping to between them. I did like both characters though. Rose doesn't let down her guard easily which is understandable considering what she has lost and how she was raised. Cal doesn't feel he is good enough for Rose, so holds himself back a lot. He is very protective of her though and that shines through in every chapter.

I liked the Gargoyle aspects of LOCKED IN STONE. Rose thought she was the last one left on earth before she went to the Sentinel's for help and her reaction and the reunion between her and her family members was great. I also enjoyed learning about her role in the gargoyle community.

I enjoyed the story as a whole, it really did need more romance though. I also would have appreciated more in regards to the world building and back story. As a first book it was decent and I will think about reading more.

I gave it 3/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Early Review: Recurve by Shannon Mayer

Recurve

Author: Shannon Mayer

Release Date: March 31, 2015

Publisher: HiJinks Ink Publishing, Ltd.

The Elemental Series Book #1

ISBN13:  9780993910579

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Review Copy Source: Publisher

“My name is Larkspur, and I am an Elemental.”

My people use the power of the earth to sustain life and defy our enemies. I should be at my father's side as a royal princess. But as a half-breed, bastard child, that isn't going to happen.

I've been accused of attacking the queen, my wicked stepmother, and my life is suddenly on the line. I have only two options left to me: banishment, or training to become one of the King's Elite Guards, an Ender.

Option one will kill me.
Option two is meant to break me, but is the only way to survive.

Did I mention I have no power like the rest of the elementals, and my connection to the earth is worth next to nothing?

Could things get any worse? Of course they can. Welcome to being an Elemental.

I was introduced to Shannon Mayer's writing when I started reading her Rylee Adamson series and I was immediately hooked to her writing style, characters and the great world she built. When it was announced that she would be starting a new Urban Fantasy series I knew I wanted it to be on my wishlist and when RECURVE arrived on my kindle I jumped right into the world of The Elemental Series. 

It took me a bit to get into the story, but once I did, I didn't want to pull myself away. Larkspur is a half-breed treated like dirt because she doesn't have any magic, but what no one knows, including her, is that she is more powerful than anyone could ever imagine. We learn who and what Larkspur is right away as RECURVE jumps into the very important events of Larkspur's past. It really helps set up the world and storyline. It's easy to understand Lark's feelings as events happen and she makes it easy to want to root for her. I really liked how Larkspur jumped into training as an Ender. She didn't have much of a choice, but she takes it all in stride and goes full force into being the best she can be to prove she can do it. 
  
There are a lot of big scenes in RECURVE and we are still just learning about Lark and the depths of what she is capable of. There are some great supporting characters introduced that I feel will play a big role in books to come. I felt like RECURVE was a really good start to Shannon's new series.

I gave it 4/5 stars

* I was provided this ARC copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.