Book Review of Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles Book 1) by Marissa Meyer

Book Title: Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1)

Genre: YA Fantasy/Fairytales

Pages: 404

Author: Marissa Meyer

Date Published: 5 January 2012

Synopsis:

A forbidden romance.
A deadly plague.
Earth's fate hinges on one girl . . .
CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth's future.

This is not the fairytale you remember. But it's one you won't forget.

Review:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book in the Lunar Chronicles. I have been wanting to read this book for some time. I am kicking myself for not reading it sooner because I loved it!

Cinder Lihn is a wonderful character, I really liked her. She has a strong will and determination to succeed, even though her stepmother treats her as a slave. Cinder has lived with the Lihn's since being eleven years old, when her adopted father brought her to New Beijing. Now sixteen, she finds herself working as a mechanic in the market to make ends meet. When Prince Kai visits her market stall with a malfunctioning robot, her life is thrown into turmoil and it will never be the same ever again.

This is a fantastic retelling of the classic fairytale, Cinderella, and is set in the future where a terrible disease called letumosis is ravaging the world for which there is no cure, and cyborgs are seen as abominations. It's a story that completely hooked me from the first page and took me on a huge emotional roller coaster ride from start to finish. This book is full of action, adventure, heartbreak, romance, mystery and danger and is told through the eyes of both Cinder and Prince Kai for the most part, but a few other characters have a say too.

I loved meeting the various characters, even Cinder's stepmother, Adri, and her stepsisters', Pearl and Peony. Adri, I feel, blamed Cinder for the death of her husband, even though he died of letumosis. This bred resentment and she took this out on Cinder.
I also fell in love with Prince Kai. He's another wonderful character. He is only eighteen, but he has a good head on his shoulders, even if he acts like a jerk at times. However, there is a lot of responsibility on his shoulders too, so I suppose one could forgive him for it.
Adri may be horrible, but there is one character that is downright scary. She is called Queen Levana and is the ruler of Lunars, who are descendants of an Earthen moon colony which was established several centuries before. However, I found her thaumaturges to be even more dangerous and scary.
There is one character that I really enjoyed meeting, her name is Iko and she is a housekeeping droid in the Lihn household. She is almost human in personality and is Cinder's friend and companion.

As I said above, I found myself completely captivated by this story. I raced through this book at a rate of knots and completed it in one day. It's not exactly a small book either. I normally have a huge love/hate relationship to cliffhangers, so I was actually glad that I had the second one ready and waiting on my bookshelf, because when I reached the end I found myself eager to find out what happens next.

Marissa Meyer has written a fantastic retelling of a classic fairytale. I love her world building, which is extremely believable and scarily realistic. Her characters are well developed, though I would have loved to get to know Peony better, and her writing style is incredibly fast paced, though it didn't feel rushed. The flow was wonderful too. This author has found another fan and I have added her to my favourite authors list. I am now looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

As this is a YA novel, I highly recommend this book to young readers. However, depending on reading age, I feel this book would suit readers aged 11 upwards even though its recommended for 9-12 year olds. I also highly recommend this book to adults who love reading fairytale retelling's or books in the YA genre. - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews

Purchase Links:

             

About The Author:

Marissa Meyer is a fangirl at heart, with a closet full of costumes, a Harry Potter wand on her desk, and a Tuxedo Mask doll hanging from her rear view mirror. Han and Leia are still her OTP. She may or may not be a cyborg.

Marissa writes books for teens, including the NYT bestselling series: The Lunar Chronicles.

Follow her blog or sign up for her newsletter at http://www.marissameyer.com.

Other Author Links:

Amazon Author Page

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

New Release #FREE 29-31 March: Arabelle: And The Star Crystal (Arabelle's Adventures Book 1) by Julia Stilchen

☆.•°☆.•°*°•.☆ NEW RELEASE ☆.•°*°•.☆°•.☆ 

Book Title: Arabelle: And The Star Crystal (Arabelle's Adventures Book 1)

Genre: Children's Chapter Book

Pages: 58

Author: Julia Stilchen

Date Published: 28 March 2017

Synopsis:

Arabelle’s Adventures Chapter Book Series

Venture off into the magical land of Wistaria where there are mages, elves, fairies, mermaids, magical creatures, and more!

Arabelle is looking forward to obtaining her first magical star at the Starfall Ceremony. When the day finally arrives, her best friend Yunika goes missing. Will Arabelle be able to find her bff and still make it to the Starfall Ceremony in time to catch her first falling star?

Arabelle is the youngest of all mages. She doesn’t let that stop her from trying her best. Even if it means confronting dragons, traveling throughout the twists and turns in the land of Wistaria, and taking on any challenge she encounters. Seeking to improve her skills, she teams up with her besties on a fun filled magical adventure.

Set in a fantasy setting filled with magical adventures, each story encourages imagination while lightly addressing topics of universal themes: self-esteem, self-acceptance, teamwork, friendship, and problem solving skills.

Purchase Links:

FREE from 29 March to 31 March 2017!

Amazon US

Amazon UK

About The Author:

Prior to the winter solstice, in the year of the fire dragon, (minutes before the stroke of midnight), Julia was born within the human realm, in a far away kingdom surrounded by the cactus-laden desert of Arizona.

She learned to harness her daydreaming skills, practicing the craft of writing to transmute imaginary worlds into prose. She is a member of magical guilds like SCBWI, CBI Clubhouse, and YARWA.

She passionately embarks storytelling quests with an enchanted wand pen at hand. Along her journey she enjoys befriending like-minded beings. (Some of which are mermaids, pirates, and aliens! Hee-hee) She loves spending time with her family, exploring nature, and traveling.

Her favorite genres are: fantasy, sci-fi, and paranormal. She loves writing and illustrating children’s books: picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and YA fiction categories.

Author Links:

Amazon Author Page ; Goodreads Author Page ; Website ; Blog

Blog Tour: Turn Tables (Reel Romance Book 2) by Stacey Rourke @RourkeWrites

Title: Turn Tables

Author: Stacey Rourke

Genre: Contemporary Romance, RomCom

Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR

Blurb: Between private jets, designer labels, and lavish resorts, Tandy Owens should be having the time of her life. Her celebrity author best friend is getting married and all of Hollywood’s elite have turned out for the event. Unfortunately, Tandy’s mood is far from celebratory.

For over a year her heart has been torn between two men: Matthew Cruz, the brilliant, well-educated entrepreneur who makes her feel like a queen, and Mateo, his womanizing musician alter ego, who is known for collecting platinum records, and the panties of his sexual conquests. Matthew assures her that Mateo’s antics are all a show. Even so, with her being the only one to witness his softer side, Tandy begins to wonder which persona is truly the act.

In the sizzling heat of Miami, Tandy reaches the breaking point with their secretive romance, and finds herself asking if a hidden love is truly worth fighting for?

RONE Award Winner for Best YA Paranormal Work of 2012 for Embrace, a Gryphon Series Novel

Young Adult and Teen Reader voted Author of the Year 2012


Turning Pages Magazine Winner for Best YA book of 2013 & Best Teen Book of 2013

Stacey Rourke is the author of the award winning YA Gryphon Series, the chillingly suspenseful Legends Saga, and the romantic comedy Adapted for Film. She lives in Michigan with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant dogs. She loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction, and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head.


Visit her at www.staceyrourke.com
diaryofasemi-crazyauthor.blogspot.com
Facebook at www.facebook.com/staceyrourkeauthor
or on Twitter or instagram at Rourkewrites.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1OJcVNO


Buy Links:


Adapted for Film: http://amzn.to/2lUincj


Turn Tables: http://amzn.to/2ldDMZO

 

New Release & Giveaway: I Wanna Get Laid by Kade by Nikki Ashton & Victoria Johns @NikkerAsh @victoriajohns75 @BarnardLaura

☆.•°☆.•°*°•.☆ NEW RELEASE & GIVEAWAY ☆.•°*°•.☆°•.☆ 

I Wanna Get Laid by Kade is out now! Check out the new contemporary romance everyone is talking about, written by duo Nikki Ashton & Victoria Johns. Head on over to https://www.facebook.com/NikkiAshtonBooks/ to enter their release day giveaway.

 

Synopsis

If you lived on the streets and someone offered to change your life, would you? Of course you would, who wouldn’t? But, what if changing your life ruined that of the one person who cared about you? The one person who you cared about in return.

That’s what happened to me, Kade Sutton.

I became the star of a reality TV show, a show that was a catalogue of lies and duplicity. The show meant I got to spend time with Daisy Ingles, a girl whose beautiful smile brightened up my day, every day. This show also meant that I betrayed her. This show gave me many things, but I lost an awful lot too.

Set within the world of reality TV, ‘I Wanna Get Laid by Kade’ will have you hissing and booing at the bad guys, and cheering on the good ones. Kade will make you fall in love with him and Daisy will make you want to fight her corner.

With love, sex and betrayal this is a book you just can’t miss – it’s the path you’re meant to take.
Get it now - Mybook.to/NAVJKade


Check out the reviews on Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33918780-i-wanna-get-laid-by-kade?from_search=true




Connect with Nikki Ashton


Website – https://www.nikkiashtonbooks.co.uk 

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/NikkiAshtonBooks

Twitter – https://twitter.com/NikkerAsh 

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/nikkiashtonauthor

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7085471.Nikki_Ashton 

Pinterest - https://uk.pinterest.com/davnikash


Connect with Victoria Johns


Website – https://www.victoriajohnsbooks.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/victoriajohnsauthor

Twitter – https://twitter.com/victoriajohns75

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5072971.Victoria_Johns?from_search=true

Book Review of Valen (Guardians of Hades Romance Series Book 2) by Felicity Heaton @FelicityHeaton

Book Title: Valen (Guardians Of Hades #2)

Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance

Pages: 262

Author: Felicity Heaton

Date Published: 25 February 2017

Synopsis:

Prince of the Underworld and Lord of Lightning, Valen was banished from his home by his father, Hades, two centuries ago and given a new duty and purpose—to keep our world and his from colliding in a calamity foreseen by the Moirai.

Together with his six brothers, he fights to defend the gates to the Underworld from daemons bent on breaching them and gaining entrance to that forbidden land, striving to protect his home from their dark influence. Cursed by Zeus to never know love again, Valen has brought up barriers around his heart to protect it, but with each new barrier he creates, the dark hold his power has over him grows, becoming all he needs.

Until the night he finally crosses paths with the assassin who has been watching him from the shadows, a bewitching mortal possessing the name of an angel and the skills of a devil—a woman who awakens his passionate heart and stirs dangerous desires.

Eva has built a fearsome reputation for herself in Italy’s underworld, but her latest job in her beloved city of Rome has left her feeling that she has stepped into a dangerous world and this mission might end in her death—either at the hands of her mysteriously seductive client or by the blade of the wickedly alluring warrior who is her target.

As the threat from the daemons escalates and more than just the Rome gate becomes their target, will Valen be strong enough to face the fears in his heart and the ghosts of his past to claim everything he desires or will they lure him deeper under their spell and into the darkness?

Review:

Valen by Felicity Heaton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book in a new paranormal series written by this author. I loved it!

Valen is a wonderful character, I liked him a lot even though he has a bit of a self-pity party going on. He is one of the seven brothers born to Hades and Persephone, and has been banished to live in the mortal realm as a guardian to the portal into the Underworld in Rome. His brothers guard other gates around the world. Cursed by Zeus to never know love, he finds himself intrigued with a mysterious woman who has been sent to assassinate him.

Eva is an intriguing character, I liked her a lot too, She is a deadly assassin and has been tasked with gathering information on Valen. When her client changes her orders in the middle of the mission, she finds herself caught between her duty to her employer and her growing desire for her mark.

I love reading the Eternal Mates series, but this new series may give it a run for it's money. This story takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end. I must admit that I felt sad for Valen. He didn't deserve the treatment he received at Zeus's hand. Granted, he was angry and full of grief at the time, but the "curse" that Zeus placed on him left him with a "woe is me" attitude and his self pity blinded him to the truth. Frankly, I was more angry at his parents (even though Persephone did try to get through his thick skull) for not convincing their son that he would find love and that he WAS loved. Even his brothers never expressed their love for him. No wonder his self-worth was deflated.

The villain of the story, Benares, is an incubus, but I never got an "evil" vibe from him; he was more of a smooth operator with an agenda. Jin, his sister, was a completely different issue. However, they are both desperate to get through the gate back into the Underworld; this made them dangerous. The story arc is beginning to take shape, with even more dangerous enemies hiding in the wings. As I reached the end of the book, I found myself becoming even more excited for what is to come. I am now looking forward to reading Esher's story as soon as I can.

Felicity Heaton has written another fast paced, sexy paranormal romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. I love her fast paced writing style, which flows effortlessly from scene to scene. She is on top of my favourite author's list.

Each book of this series could be read as a stand-alone, as this one does not end in a cliffhanger, though I would recommend reading them in order. I do not recommend this book to younger readers due to the extremely HOT and explicit sexual scenes. However, I highly recommend this book (and series) if you love sexy paranormal romances full of gods and daemons. - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews

Purchase Links:

            

About The Author:

Felicity Heaton is a NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY and International Best-Selling Author writing passionate paranormal romance books and series for adults.

In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons!

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, her best-selling Her Angel romance series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm romance series or any of her stand alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try her Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series. Or if you like hot-blooded alpha heroes who will let nothing stand in the way of them claiming their destined woman then try her Eternal Mates series. It’s packed with sexy heroes in a world populated by elves, vampires, fae, demons, shifters, and more. If sexy Greek gods with incredible powers battling to save our world and their home in the Underworld are more your thing, then be sure to step into the world of Guardians of Hades.

Fans of paranormal romance books by authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter, Larissa Ione, Kresley Cole and Christine Feehan will love Felicity's books too.

Author Links:

If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places:

Website  Blog  Facebook  Twitter  Tsu  Pinterest  GoodReads  Amazon

Release Day Blitz & Giveaway: Extra Credit by Poppy Dunne #RomCom #ExtraCreditRelease

 

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The first time I saw Will Munroe I had him pegged as a typical LA douchebag—a little too handsome, a little too rich, a little too into his probiotic kale smoothies. The next time I ran into him—at his daughter’s parent/teacher conference (me: teacher, he: parent)—I noticed his steel grey eyes, his hard chest under a crisp white button down, and his suggestively bare ring finger. I was hooked.

 

If life really imitated art, he’d have swept me off my feet and taken me right there on the principal's desk. Instead, we are stuck in our assigned roles. He’s the workaholic single dad of a precocious girl child, and I’m her fiery substitute teacher. Never the two shall meet. Enter one zany, yurt-dwelling ex-wife, a stock market that never sleeps, and some over-the-top, A-list fundraisers, and I've got plenty of drama ahead. Better to keep my hands to myself.

But when Will asks me out for a pancake breakfast, how can I resist? My heart (and my stomach) say yes, but am I willing to risk my job for a short stack and a romp in the hay? A slow, sensual, mind-blowing romp in the hay…

But where there’s a Will…

 

    

 

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Make sure to head over to the Author's LIKE page on Facebook.

She will be doing an amazing release day giveaway for all readers!

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Poppy Dunne writes books with relatable heroines who speak their minds and whose riotous inner dialogue reflects their complex characters. Her goal is to deliver a story that has equal parts heart, romance and humor. Her heroes are swoon worthy, yet hold on to your suspension of disbelief, because they pick up their own socks and cook.

In her free time, she looks for hobbies other than Netflix and procrastinating to fill out this author bio. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.

 

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Blog Tour: One More Night by Sarah O'Rourke @SarahORourke99

One More Night by Sarah O'Rourke - Blog Tour

Crenshaw Jacobson met the woman of his dreams...and he was determined to spend every night possible with her. But Waverlee Armstrong was leery of commitment, having been abandoned by her family at an early age. She knew that she loved Shaw...but can she learn to trust him and spend just one more night?

Instalove *** Novella *** Standalone

Written as part of Fiona Davenport's Sex, Vows & Babies Kindle World!

 

Shivering against him as she parted her lips to speak, Waverlee moaned as his tongue swept forward, stealing the opportunity to deepen their kiss. And holy moly, the man could kiss. And not just any old kiss either. It was the-steal-your-breath-I-can’t-live-without-his-touch-because-nothing-else-in-the-world-matters kind of kiss a girl spends her life dreaming about. Their tongues danced together for long minutes as everything else faded away. The people. The noise. Everything took a backseat to the fierce passion Shaw created with a simple touch of his mouth to hers. Forcing herself to find her voice when Shaw lifted his mouth from hers to take a deep breath, Waverlee flashed a furtive glance up at his darkened eyes. “Wow,” she breathed shakily, clutching handfuls of his light blue dress shirt in her fists as the world seemed to spin at warp speed, “I..I...don’t think I’ve ever felt anything like that before,” she whispered, the words catching in her throat as his finger swept against her lower lip. “Then you best hold on real tight to me, baby, ‘cause I’m just getting started,” he replied, dropping his head to steal another deep, wet kiss from her lips as he curved one big hand around her neck, wrapping her silky hair around his fist and tugging gently.

Click HERE to buy One More Night by Sarah O'Rourke on Kindle!

What is the Sex, Vows, and Babies Kindle World?

From sexy stories with married couples fighting against outside forces to keep their happily ever after in the Sex & Vows series to unexpected pregnancies that lead to happy marriages in the Yeah, Baby series… the Sex, Vows & Babies world is full of over the top alphas, sassy heroines, insta-love, wedding bells, and growing families. Although the wide cast of characters in both series have managed to find the loves of their lives, there’s bound to be plenty more out there who could use Sex, Vows & Babies in their lives. A creation of the fabulous Fiona Davenport, the Sex, Vows & Babies Kindle World is filled with creative stories from amazing authors who pay homage to the original books!

Click HERE to check out all of the books in the Sex, Vows, and Babies Kindle World!

Sarah O'Rourke is actually TWO besties who live three states apart and write at all hours of the day and night! Born and raised in the Southern United States, they are overly attached to their one-click accounts, can’t make it through the day without copious doses of caffeine, and spend way too much time on the phone with each other. Between them, they have four children and twenty-four years of marriage. They hate empty chocolate wrappers and writer’s block, love to talk to readers...and oh, by the way, they write about strong, kick-ass women and hot alpha heroes!

Contact Sarah today....she loves to chat!

Buy One More Night today! Click here!

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A Creation of Sarah O'Rourke Productions