New Releases: 2/21-2/27

Tue. Feb. 23rd

A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab

 Behold the Bones (Beware the Wild #2) by Natalie C. Parker

 Bitter Bite (Elemental Assassin #14) by Jennifer Estep
Born To Be Wilde (Immortal Vegas, #3) by Jenn Stark

 Dreamfever (Dreamfire #2) by Kit Alloway

 Firstlife (Everlife #1) by Gena Showalter

 The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

 Kingdom of Ashes (A Wicked Thing #2) by Rhiannon Thomas
Last Defense (Lorien Legacies: The Lost Files #14) by Pittacus Lore

 The Power (Titan #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 Runaway Vampire (Argeneau #23) by Lynsay Sands
Titans by Victoria Scott
Well of Witches (The Thickety #3) by J.A. White, Andrea Offermann

Happy Reading!

Review: The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

The Shadow Queen

Author: C.J. Redwine

Release Date: February 16, 2016

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Ravenspire Book #1

ISBN:  0062360248

ISBN13: 9780062360243

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Review Copy Source:  Edelweiss

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

Snow White is one of my favorite stories, so I was excited to read THE SHADOW QUEEN. Unfortunately although I liked the story, it didn't blow me away and I didn't find myself yearning to read more. To tell the truth, the story didn't stick with me at all after I was done reading. I had to go back and read a recap of the book to jog my memory just to write this review.

Lorelei wants to free her people from the queen that killed her father and stole her throne. She has lost a lot and she is ready to take her throne back. I thought Lorelei was pretty fierce in her mission to kill the evil queen and I had no trouble rooting for her. Kol is now king and he feels the only way to save his kingdom is to enlist the help of the queen of Ravenspire. Little does he know that he will meet the true queen on his journey and have to fight for his life while helping her to get her throne back. Both Lorelai and Kol had some major struggles and I thought they worked in the best way they could to overcome them. Although I could see a bit of a romantic spark their romance didn't jump off the page or make me think they were destined for each other.

The pace was extremely slow at times and things tended to drag a bit in THE SHADOW QUEEN, but I thought the world building was really well done and the supporting characters were well written. I didn't love THE SHADOW QUEEN, but I didn't hate it either. It just was.

I gave it 3/5 stars

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

Week in Review: 2/14-2/20

Books Received for Review

House of Kings by Keary Taylor
Bright Blaze of Magic by Jennifer Estep

Books I've Read

Kingdom of Ashes by Rhiannon Thomas
Hunting for Spring by Katherine McIntyre
Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishlop
Wedding Bells, Magic Spells by Lisa Shearin

Reviews Posted

Shift Work by J.C. McKenzie
Demon Lore by Karilyn Bentley
Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers
Gifted Thief by Helen Harper

  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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

* Tuesday- Guest Blog + Giveaway for Angelus by Sabrina Benulis

* Thursday- Entangled is turning 5!

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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

BlogLovin

Networked Blogs

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

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

Early Review: Shift Work by J.C. McKenzie

Shift Work

Author: J.C. McKenzie

Release Date: February 22, 2016

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Carus Book #4

ASIN:  B01A1L5NFE

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Review Copy Source: Author

Badass Shifter Andy McNeilly is running on empty. The death of a prominent supernatural being has her reeling. The advent of a new street drug has the police knocking on her door for assistance. And a friend needs her unique skills to help investigate a messy murder.

In the interest of paying the bills, paying it forward, and keeping the Supernatural Regulatory Division off her back, Andy once again slips through the dark streets of Vancouver’s seedy underworld. In the process, she uncovers secrets that threaten to derail her love life and her investigation.

Can Andy capture a murderer, solve a mystery, and forgive her lover’s past? Or will the grime of the criminal world swallow her whole?

This is definitely one of those series that you need to start from book one. I think you would be completely lost and not enjoy it much if you tried to jump in anywhere else. The good news is that all the books have been great so far so go pick up your copy of SHIFT HAPPENS today and enjoy the ride.

Andy's personality is a contagious and I always look forward to what she will do next. She is easy to connect with and easy to stand behind. There is still a lot of mystery surrounding everything that being a Carus entails. Something new is revealed in each book, but I feel like there is so much more to uncover and I love finding out that I'm right whenever something new is revealed. I also like that each animal that calls to Andy represents something new that Andy seems to need in her life.

I'm really glad that the love triangle is gone, but I can't help but miss Wick a little bit even though I don't think he was the best choice for Andy. I'm glad though that Andy stuck with her decision in SHIFT WORK. Having said that, Tristan drops a pretty big bomb on Andy and I don't know how that will affect their relationship in the future. I am still not completely sure how I feel about Tristan, but I am warming up to him more and more with each book.

We get some answers, but there is still so many questions. The plot continues to evolve and develop and the characters continue to be interesting. Sign me up for book five when it's ready!

I gave it 4/5 stars

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

Review: Demon Lore by Karilyn Bentley

Demon Lore

Author: Karilyn Bentley

Release Date: December 15, 2015

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Demon Huntress Book #1

ASIN:   B00PKY3CC4

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Review Copy Source: Author

Gin Crawford has enough problems dealing with her empath abilities. Finding out she's the world's newest demon-slayer is the last thing she needs. Unfortunately, when she slips on a mysterious bracelet she is given no other choice. On the plus side, her new gig comes with Tall, Dark and Handsome, a mage who may or may not have her best interests at heart. Thrust into a power-play between good and evil, Gin must choose a side before she becomes the next victim in the ongoing battle.

It took me a little bit to warm up to DEMON LORE, but once I did I had a hard time putting it down and wanted to read book two before I was even done with it.

The characters is what made DEMON LORE so great for me so I want to talk about them. I thought Gin was a little bland at first, but she quickly became a character I could root for. She has a few flaws that I can't personally relate to, but I was defiantly able to connect with her struggles. Once she puts her mind to something she goes full force and I liked that she had no problem sticking up for herself—although it sometimes got her in trouble. Smythe was broody and mysterious. I thought he was pretty bad ass and I liked getting to know him. Speaking of Smythe, I wanted Gin and him to get it on SO SO BAD. I know, she is sort of involved with someone in DEMON LORE, but there was so much attraction and sexual tension that I just couldn't help but want them to do something about it *Fingers crossed*.  

Gin's brother was way too overprotective most of the time, but he was always there for her. Gin's reactions and comments about his girlfriend kinda cracked me up. I can see her brother having a pretty big role in future books with his talents. Sargon remains a complete mystery to me. I can't figure him out and I actually liked him. I probably shouldn't seeing that he is an evil demon and all, but I can't help it. I am very interested in seeing where his storyline takes things in the future.

Not only were the characters enjoyable, but the world and plot were interesting as well. There was a lot of action and I enjoyed watching Gin and Smythe investigate the happenings in DEMON LORE as they got to know each other better. I still had a lot of questions about the people that Gin finds herself working for, but I have faith that more will be revealed in future books. DEMON LORE was a great start to the Demon Huntress series.

I gave it 4/5 stars

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

Entangled is turning 5!

Like romance? Entangled is celebrating their 5th birthday with some exciting offerings!

Entangled Publishing is turning 5 and we are so excited that we are offering all the books on our latest bestselling imprint, Lovestruck, at a celebratory price of just $.99 each! At prices like these be sure to fill up your reader.

AND that's not all. From 2/1 to 2/21 we are giving away 5 Lovestruck prize packs including 5 different Sephora Minimergency kits, an Amazon gift card and other surprise gift cards. So be sure to stop by each of our amazing blogger hosts below and visit the Lovestruck Facebook page to find out about the fun events and giveaways we will be having in the coming weeks. You will also get sneak peeks inside our different releases so you can pick out your must reads.

Haven't read a Lovestruck yet? Take a peek inside...

Excerpt

Gambling on the Bodyguard by Sarah Ballance

Desire rocketed through him, the intentionally slow pace more brutal than any he’d ever known. He shifted, nudging deeper, feeling her leg slide the length of his. She arched against him, baring her neck, and he claimed the spot with his mouth. Fingernails raked his back, but still he held on. He tried not to think about what she was doing to him. What she allowed him to do to her.

Her body enveloped him, all heat and fire, and he held her with everything he had. Kissed her neck. Nibbled her ear. All the while, driving into her, rocking his hips, pistoning longer, slower, deeper. Breaking a sweat, tasting that she’d done the same.

And kissing her. Dear God, the sweet slide of her tongue with his was enough to leave him undone. He explored every crevice, tasted every part of her, swallowed every whimper. Forced himself to take her deeper, pushing against the bed with one knee, gaining traction. Nudging her across the sheets with his desire to consume her, to so thoroughly become a part of her body that he’d be there forever. He knew the moment she came. Knew she hadn’t been thrown off some cliff to flail, to seek purchase from thin air. That wouldn’t happen, not this time. He gave her something to hold on to while she trembled. Kissed her. Touched her hair, cupped her face. Held on until his own orgasm took over, stealing his sense of self, leaving him shaking and lost.

Lost, with no real desire to be found.

When he went to the bathroom to clean up, he didn’t recognize himself in the mirror. Didn’t recognize what raged inside him.

Didn’t matter.

Just went back to the bed and held her, knowing it had to be enough.

Knowing damn well it’d never even come close.

About the book:

He’ll guard her body all night long…

Ski instructor Ellie Montgomery hits Vegas during a romance convention to meet the man of her dreams…only, the man of her dreams isn’t the cover model she’s there to see. He’s the hot-as-sin bodyguard who catches her sneaking in the back door of a meet-and-greet, and he seems more than ready to do what it takes to prove he’s twice the man her pretty boy crush could ever be.

Jax Mathis couldn’t resist snagging a date with Ellie, but he didn’t count on the attraction being more than physical. They connect on a level he didn’t think possible–and he can’t run fast enough. She makes him want things he thought he’d never have, and maybe, just maybe, they’re within reach. But to have it, he’ll have to face the one mountain he swore he’d never climb…and with no guarantee she’ll be waiting on the other side.

Buy links:

Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers

Assassin's Heart

Author: Sarah Ahiers

Release Date: February 2, 2016

Publisher: HarperTeen

Assassin's Heart Book #1

ISBN:  0062363786

ISBN13: 9780062363787

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Review Copy Source: Edelweiss

In the kingdom of Lovero, nine rival Families of assassins lawfully kill people for a price. As a highly skilled member of one of these powerful clans, seventeen-year-old Lea Saldana has always trusted in the strength of her Family. Until she awakens to find them murdered and her home in flames. The Da Vias, the Saldanas’ biggest enemy, must be responsible—and Lea should have seen it coming. But her secret relationship with the Da Vias’ son, Val, has clouded her otherwise killer instinct—and given the Da Vias more reason than ever to take her Family down.

Racked with guilt and shattered over Val’s probable betrayal, Lea sets out to even the score, with her heart set on retaliation and only one thought clear in her mind: make the Da Vias pay.

With shades of The Godfather and Romeo and Juliet, this richly imagined fantasy from debut author Sarah Ahiers is a story of love, lies, and the ultimate vengeance.

Plenty of action, lots of mystery and some romance gone wrong helped make ASSASSIN'S HEART an enjoyable read.

Romeo and Juliet are now Lea and Val, but instead of dying together for their love, Val betrays Lea and she loses her entire family. I really enjoyed the storyline of ASSASSIN'S HEART. I enjoyed learning about what a clipper was and the role that the Families of assassins plays in the world that Sarah Ahiers created. I don't feel I should go into the romances of the book as they play such a huge part in the story, but I will say that the romance was one of my favorite parts of ASSASSIN'S HEART.

A few things I wasn't crazy about. Lea got a tad bit annoying after she fled Lovero ( I thought she was awesome before that). She is full of guilt for her role in things and whines quite a bit about it—yeah I would cry too, but it was still annoying—I wanted her to just stop already and get on with it. She was way too full of herself at times and she seemed to fly off the handle about things I thought were ridiculous to fly off the handle about and then she would make a silly mistake that would set her back. She is an assassin and should know better. On top of that the pace of the story wasn't as smooth as I would have liked. A lot of parts were too fast or too slow, I would have liked more to fall in the middle.

Lea's revenge at the end made all the little things I didn't care for in ASSASSIN'S HEART move to the back of my mind. She rocked it! This could have been a standalone in my opinion, but I am interested to see what Ahiers has in mind for the story.

I gave it 3.5/5 stars

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