The Angel Knights by Mary Ting

Goodreads Summary:
Spin-Off to Crossroads Saga - Prequel to The Chosen Knights release 3/22/16) Can be read as stand-alone

Michael and Claudia’s decision to move back to Crossroads was to keep their children safe, but they can’t escape who they are. Their children, Zachary and Lucia, were destined to be demon hunters—Venators. From the age they were able to hold a sword, they were trained to become the best and to ensure they would become leaders one day. 

All is peaceful throughout the land until the Fallen and demons’ presences were felt in the between and on Earth. As the Venators investigate these locations, they will quickly learn how dangerous their lives are. Hearts will be broken. Teammates will lose their lives. And they will face obstacles which will test their faith. 


As danger grows, the fear of fallen angels and demons regrouping has the Divine Elders on pins and needles. Now, Zachary and Lucia, along with Uncle Davin, must prepare themselves—mentally and physically—to live on Earth to investigate where the focal point of evil resides before it’s too late.

My Review:
I am so excited for this series!! Mary Ting invites us back to the Crossroads world. Intorducing us to Michael and Claudia's children!! Get ready to be pulled back into the world of angel's and demons as they risk their lives to keep the world safe. Who could as for more. Zachary and Lucia have become Venators. Demon hunting is what they were destined to become. It is dangerous as they learn pretty quickly. They need to be ready for what is coming. They need to be ready because it means the difference between life and death. Not everyone will survive what is coming. It is up to Michael, Davin, and Claudia to make sure Lucia an Zachary are ready. 

I love Zachary and Lucia already. They are the twin children of Michael and Claudia. They have the ability to talk telepathically to each other. They are as close and would die for each other. They are Always looking out for each other. Michael has fought with them and is fiercely protective. I always imagined Michael would be like a lion when it came to his children. I was not wrong, he would do anything for them. Michael and Claudia still have a love that most people long for. 

It was awesome to get to read about Michael and Claudia again. I am excited to see what will happen with their children's mission. It is going to be a fun ride I am sure. I hope we get to have more of Michael and Claudia's point of view as well. I'm just so excited for The Chosen Knights and to see where this story will go. 

Stacking on the Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. It is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

e-ARC's

Goodreads Summay:
(Spin-Off to Crossroads Saga - Prequel to The Chosen Knights release 3/22/16) Can be read as stand-alone

Michael and Claudia’s decision to move back to Crossroads was to keep their children safe, but they can’t escape who they are. Their children, Zachary and Lucia, were destined to be demon hunters—Venators. From the age they were able to hold a sword, they were trained to become the best and to ensure they would become leaders one day. 

All is peaceful throughout the land until the Fallen and demons’ presences were felt in the between and on Earth. As the Venators investigate these locations, they will quickly learn how dangerous their lives are. Hearts will be broken. Teammates will lose their lives. And they will face obstacles which will test their faith. 


As danger grows, the fear of fallen angels and demons regrouping has the Divine Elders on pins and needles. Now, Zachary and Lucia, along with Uncle Davin, must prepare themselves—mentally and physically—to live on Earth to investigate where the focal point of evil resides before it’s too late.

Goodreads Summary:
A contemporary retelling of Pride & Prejudice by New York Times bestselling author H.M. Ward and L.G. Castillo. 

Charming. Sexy. Rich. William Darcy is the triple threat that should make any woman twerk on sight. He’s everything a woman could want—a beautiful billionaire with sad eyes and a crooked smile. Woman try to lick him on sight, he’s that yummy. Well, unless that woman is Beth Bennet. Her panties don’t drop for anyone, unless there’s love, so a guy like Will Darcy doesn’t stand a chance. 

Being shoved up the socialite ladder in New York City chafes so Beth goes to college as far away as possible, but when her father gets sick she finds herself right back where she started—stuck together with a bronzed god who hates her. 

The prideful will fall to ruin. 

Their prejudice will be their undoing. 

And William Darcy will be the first to fall, Beth is certain of that.

Purchased

Goodreads Summary:
In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. A Natural Born amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats, all Ella ever wanted was to be like everyone else. Augmented, sparkling, and perfect. Then…the crash. Devastated by her father’s death and struggling with her new physical limitations, Ella is terrified to learn she is not just alone, but little more than a prisoner.

Her only escape is to lose herself in Nexis, the hugely popular virtual reality game her father created. In Nexis she meets Guster, a senior player who guides Ella through the strange and compelling new world she now inhabits. He offers Ella guidance, friendship…and something more. Something that allows her to forget about the “real” world, and makes her feel whole again.

But Nexis isn’t quite the game everyone thinks it is.


And it’s been waiting for Ella.

Goodreads Summary:
Zoey Valentine is concerned with two things: surviving the multitude of self-defense classes her dad makes her take and avoiding Ash Matthews.

That is, until the Z virus hits, wiping out a third of the population in a matter of weeks. If that weren’t frightening enough, the bodies of the victims disappear and suddenly reappear, awakened from their dead state. They're faster, smarter, and they work together to get the one thing they crave, human flesh.

The United States is in a panic and then the government decides the unthinkable: to bomb every major city overrun with the awakened.


Now Zoey is on the run, with her dad and Ash, desperate to find a place of safety amongst the ruined remains of the country.

Goodreads Summary:
THE TRUTH DOESN'T ALWAYS SET YOU FREE

I’ve fallen hard for an alien, but he’s harboring secrets.
Massive secrets that threaten the very essence of humanity.
How can I give him my heart when his race plans on taking my future?

Sadie Owens has been slowly dying inside. Bit by bit, piece by piece, day by day. Trapped in a life she hates, she relies on only one person—herself.

Despised by her family and betrayed by an unscrupulous government, Sadie dreams of a different life. When she is chosen to participate in the government’s new social experiment, she is ecstatic at the prospect of spending six months in Thalassic City, the shiny new city under the sea.

Immediately drawn to Logan Chandler, Sadie is captivated by the beautiful boy with the ocean-blue eyes. Logan seems to embody everything that has been forbidden, but he isn’t all he appears to be.

Confused over Logan’s true intentions and concerned when best friend Jenna starts transforming in front of her eyes, Sadie partners with newcomer Jarod in a bid to uncover the government’s real agenda. The truth is more shocking than anything she could ever have imagined.


When Sadie finally understands why the Saven walk among us, will it be too late to save her heart and the human race?

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Title: Lady Midnight
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series Number: 1
Release Date: March 8, 2016

Goodreads Summary:
January 29, 2035. That’s the day the comet is scheduled to hit—the big one.

Denise and her mother and sister, Iris, have been assigned to a temporary shelter outside their hometown of Amsterdam to wait out the blast, but Iris is nowhere to be found, and at the rate Denise’s drug-addicted mother is going, they’ll never reach the shelter in time.

A last-minute meeting leads them to something better than a temporary shelter: a generation ship, scheduled to leave Earth behind to colonize new worlds after the comet hits. But everyone on the ship has been chosen because of their usefulness. Denise is autistic and fears that she’ll never be allowed to stay. Can she obtain a spot before the ship takes flight? What about her mother and sister?


When the future of the human race is at stake, whose lives matter most?

My Thoughts:
I am always up for a good end of the world read. This one sounds like a fun one. I really like the cover too. 

Hooked by Love by Toni Aleo

Goodreads Summary:
Things are out of control for the Sinclair boys! With two already in the NHL, Jace Sinclair is ready to follow in his brothers’ HUGE skates in the last Bellevue Bullies novel…

Jace Sinclair here, and I’m amazing. There is no other way to describe me. I am the leading scorer for the Bellevue Bullies, I’m the captain, and people love me: my family, my teammates, my coach, and the NHL. I already have one foot in the draft and I’m ready. This is my last year in college–it’s basically a conditioning year to get me ready for the NHL, to further my game, and I have to be focused. But then, it’s also my last year to have fun and not give a damn before my life really starts. Which means I’m gonna run through every girl I meet. That’s my plan. Because my one and only love is hockey. It keeps me warm even when it’s freezing. It’s always there when nothing else is. And it pushes me to be the best I can be. It’s my love.

That is, until I see her against a tree with a guitar.

Avery.

The last thing I wanted was to meet anyone. My heart is on the bench because I’ve watched my mom get broken by the person I call my father, and I don’t want that for myself. I don’t want to be hurt by anyone. I can’t give them that power.

But my heart is begging for ice time, and I can’t control it around her.
* * *
I’ve always been in the background. No one has ever had time for me and that’s fine; I’ve learned to cope. Coming from a family where hockey is life, the last thing I want is some big, burly hockey player charging at me. I don’t have time for it, but Jace Sinclair isn’t one to be deked around. The thing is, I came to the University of Bellevue for one reason and one reason only. To make my dreams of being a singer/songwriter come true. To work in the industry and pay my dues. Become who I really want to be.

I didn’t want to meet anyone. I didn’t want to end up freezing the puck with him. It’s not what I want.

I have demons.

I have issues.

Living in the shadows, no one even knew until it was too late. But Jace wants to know.

He wants me.

And that scares me the living hell out of me.


We were so worried about what would happen if we fell, but we never thought what could happen in the process of falling. We never saw it coming. But it’s here, and the repercussions are not pretty. We should have known that there is no way out of the zone when you are being Hooked by Love.

My Review:
I was so excited for Jace's story. I loved the Bullies series. The Sinclair family is one heck of a family. Jace is the youngest and thinks he is a player. He can focus on hockey and not worry about woman problems. Then the unthinkable happens. Jace hears the voice of a goddess. Something that threw him for a loop. Isn't funny how you can be so certain of your life and where it is going only to have one person change everything. To completely take you to a different life. All the sudden you see white picket fences, family home, and your kids. This is what happens to Jace when he see's Avery. Avery however, is harder to convince. She has a singing career to worry about and no man will get in the way of that.  Will these two let their potential futures get in the way of love?

Avery did not have the life she wanted growing up. She had some serious mental issues after her first boyfriend broke her heart. She has scars that she wishes she didn't. She isn't really part of her family. Her brothers always had her parents attention due to their hockey careers. She was just along for the ride. I feel for her truly. To be forgotten about by your own family is heartbreaking. This weighed on her a lot. Jace finally makes her feel loved and wanted. He gives her a place in his life which is all she ever wanted. 

After the first night these two have together I knew, I just knew. It was intense and passionate. Where were these guys when I was in college! Seriously! They obviously have chemistry. Their second encounter in the Bullies kitchen was...wow, I mean sparks were flying. I loved them together. Obviously lust mixed with feelings can get tricky. When you have two young people with such big dreams. Dreams that for Jace could get messed up by Avery and her family. Can love be enough?

This book takes you through so many emotions. As the only daughter in a hockey family I could really relate to Avery. Not even close to as bad as her but, I can relate. I felt close to her. I loved the twist at the end. Honestly, I did not see that coming at all! Thanks you Toni Aleo for writing another amazing book that I absolutely loved!

BLOG TOUR!!! Wicked Lust by Sawyer Bennett!

Wicked Lust (The Wicked Horse Series Book #2) Sawyer Bennett Release Date: January 5, 2016

Synopsis: 

Cain Bonham is as big and bad as they come. After serving in the Marines, he’s returned home to Wyoming and now works as head of security at the exclusive sex club, The Wicked Horse. His job is to protect not only the patrons, but to zealously guard the secret existence of the club itself. Sloane Preston is all about discovering secrets. As an undercover reporter, she’s determined to reveal the truth behind the facade of The Wicked Horse and expose it for all the world to see. She just didn’t count on her pathway into the club coming at the hands of one gorgeously scarred and bad ass bouncer who manages to easily possess her body and soul. While Cain’s not looking for anyone to catch his eye, Sloane did it all the same, and he’s not bemoaning the fact that she’s as wickedly kinky as he is. As both get caught up in the sinful fantasies that only The Wicked Horse can create, secrets and loyalties will be tested and hearts will risk being broken. **Warning: this book has sex in it. Lots of sex. Dirty sex. The Wicked Horse Series is a bit different than what Sawyer Bennett normally writes. While you’ll still enjoy fabulous characters, a suspenseful story, some witty banter and an epic romance, there’s just... a lot of sex. You’ve been warned. 

Goodreads

My Review:

Hello Cain! Who would have thought that the security guard could be so yummy! Cain has lived a pretty good life. His job at The Silo (also known as the sex club) has allowed him to dabble in his wild side. This is by far the kinkiest book from Sawyer Bennet thus far. No joke. So you can imagine how thrown he would be when he feels for Sloane Preston. The hot bar tender. Sloane has a big secret though. One that could destroy these two. How will it turn out? Did Cain finally meet his match or is he going to crash and burn? 

Cain is a very interesting guy. He has a lot of sexual preferences that I did not see coming. That is surprising. I can usually see a lot coming but some of these hot moments between Cain and Sloane are...wow...just wow. They are a seriously steamy couple of people. The fantasy that Sloane has that Cain indulges is probably the hottest thing I have ever read. You have to be seriously comfortable in your sexuality to ever do that.  All I can say is prepare yourself for a sexual roller coaster of hotness. 

I was seriously angry at Sloane for doing what she was doing. The boys of this series are some of my favorite and I did not take to her kindly at first. I grew to change my tune but, it took a while. I was mad at Cain for being blinded by a beautiful women but, he is a guy so I understand. Their story was one of my favorites with twists around every corner. It wasn't just about the sex. It was so much more. I think they grew because of it. Into better people. This is a must read guys!

 

  Purchase Wicked Lust: 

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Google Play 

Enter to WIN! Enter for your chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card! ----> http://sawyerbennett.com/giveaways/wicked-lust-release-giveaway/         

  

About the Author

 New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Sawyer Bennett is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. Her husband works for a Fortune 100 company which lets him fly all over the world while she stays at home with their daughter and two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn't have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate. Sawyer is the author of several contemporary romances including the popular Off Series, the Legal Affairs Series and the Last Call Series. 

Connect with Sawyer:\

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads 

Sign up for Sawyer’s newsletter: http://sawyerbennett.com/signup/

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. It is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Purchased

Goodreads Summary:
On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.


Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

Goodreads Summary:
Gia Kearns would rather fight with boys than kiss them. That is, until Arik, a leather clad hottie in the Boston Athenaeum, suddenly disappears. While examining the book of world libraries he abandoned, Gia unwittingly speaks the key that sucks her and her friends into a photograph and transports them into a Paris library, where Arik and his Sentinels—magical knights charged with protecting humans from the creatures traveling across the gateway books—rescue them from a demonic hound.


Jumping into some of the world's most beautiful libraries would be a dream come true for Gia, if she weren’t busy resisting her heart or dodging an exiled wizard seeking revenge on both the Mystik and human worlds. Add a French flirt obsessed with Arik and a fling with a young wizard, and Gia must choose between her heart and her head, between Arik's world and her own, before both are destroyed.

Goodreads Summary:
IAMOS, S.C.D. 8378
Nadin's planet is dying. As its atmosphere drains away, her people are forced to live huddled in domed cities for protection. With only enough resources to support the population for one more year, time is running out. Nadin thinks she's found a way to save Iamos, but it will mean defying the planet's rulers, the geroi—and betraying the geroi could cost her everything.

When a strange boy from another world appears out of nowhere outside the citidome's glass walls, Nadin knows for sure that her plan will work. But to build the device that can save her people, Nadin must first find the legendary city of Elytherios. And to do that, she'll need the help of the mysterious alien boy named Isaak.

MARS, 2073 C.E.
All Isaak wanted was to get through his senior year at the Academy in one piece. Everything would have been fine if he hadn't found that ancient coin among his missing father's possessions. The coin seems to have a strange connection not only to Isaak's family, but to Mars' ancient past.

But how is that possible, on a planet that was supposed to be dead until just forty years ago?


Now Isaak's got agents of the Earth's government on his tail and a deranged factory worker stalking his every move. Everyone is desperate to get their hands on something called the Key. And the only way to escape is to unlock an even bigger secret, one that could change his life—and the fate of Mars—forever.

Goodreads Summary:
It started with unspoken animosity. The bitter bite of jealousy. And now its full blown hate.

It was during my first football game that I first felt the first chill of hate. I looked it right in the eyes and felt its sticky tentacles reach out for me. I’d never experienced something so cold and empty before.

The effect of that look lingered, like an unspoken promise, long after it was gone.

Becoming a couple – becoming the other half of a campus celebrity wasn’t easy. I let down walls guarding my heart and he looked past my glasses and accident prone tendencies. Romeo and I are an unlikely match, a #nerd and a jock. But we made it.

And we’re happy.

Zach doesn’t want us to be happy. He wants Romeo to pay for getting him kicked out of Omega and for the night he spent in jail. He’s going to use anything and everything he can to get his revenge. Including me.

As the weather on campus grows cold and the days become dark, revenge becomes the center of someone’s life and the happiness Romeo and I worked so hard for is threatened.


I can’t help but worry that our love is going to be overshadowed by hate.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Title: Lady Midnight
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series Number: 1
Release Date: March 8, 2016

Goodreads Summary:
Los Angeles. It’s been five years since the events of the Mortal Instruments when Nephilim stood poised on the brink of oblivion and Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs lost her parents. After the blood and violence she witnessed as a child, Emma has dedicated her life to to discovering exactly what it was that killed her parents and getting her revenge.

Raised in the Los Angeles Institute with the Blackthorn family, Emma is paired as a parabatai with her best friend, Julian Blackthorn. A series of murders in the city catch her attention — they seem to have the same characteristics as the deaths of her parents. Could the murderer be the same person? And her attention isn’t the only one caught: someone has been murdering Downworlders as well. The Fair Folk make a deal with the Institute: if the Blackthorns and Emma will investigate the killings, they’ll return Mark Blackthorn to his home. The catch: they have only two weeks to find the killers. Otherwise it’s open war between faeries and Nephilim.

The Shadowhunters of the Institute must race against time to catch the killers, even as they begin to suspect the involvement of those closest to them. At the same time, Emma is falling in love with the one person in the world she’s absolutely forbidden by Shadowhunter Law to love. Set against the glittering backdrop of present-day Los Angeles, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. 

My Thoughts:
I am always excited for Cassandra Clare's books and a new series from the Shadowhunter world is one that I will definitely read! Look at that cover too. Simply beautiful. 

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Goodreads Summary:
Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.


Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

My Review:
I know I am late jumping on this bandwagon. I have had this book for quite some time and over the holiday break decided to finally read it. This was such an emotional roller coaster. Sky lives a pretty normal life. Apart from not having a cell phone, internet or TV. She is going to public school for the first time and is kind of excited and kind of not. She meets some nice people and some awful people. Which let's face it, is high school in a nutshell. She has a bit of a reputation before she even get's there. The person who throws her for a loop isn't even someone she meets at school. Holder is hard to get to know. It's like he has multiple personality disorder. You never know which Holder you are going to get. There is a connection between them though. A connection they don't both understand right away. What Sky doesn't know is that meeting Holder set's off a chain reaction that will leads to a massive explosion. Is she ready for it?

I loved Holder. I thought he was a very realistic guy. Not the Greek God super hot guy that doesn't exist in real life. He was the right guy for Sky. It was very hard to tell right away and it took time which is great. It wasn't instant. When things from their past come to light everything changes. Their relationship changes. It is very intense and emotional. I am not sure they would have survived without each other to lean on through it all. They needed each other on a whole different level. There was definitely some hot moments between them too. They again were realistic and perfect. 

I am not going to lie, there are a lot of series issues in this book of the sexual nature. Ones that result in legal ramifications. You are going to need a strong heart for this one because what Sky discovers about her pas it heartbreaking. Without Holder I am not sure she would have survived it.

This is a story of strength, resilience, and love. I am so glad I finally read this book. It is the first one from this author I have read and I intend on picking up some more of her books. 

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. It is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

It's been a while but, I am back! I have transitioned into a new job at work and it has been very hard to even work and live out. I have been doing a lot of overtime and have even less time to blog. Which i am not happy about. I am making an effort to do a much better job! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! 

Purchased

Goodreads Summary:
Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.


In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge.

Goodreads Summary:
Things are out of control for the Sinclair boys! With two already in the NHL, Jace Sinclair is ready to follow in his brothers’ HUGE skates in the last Bellevue Bullies novel…

Jace Sinclair here, and I’m amazing. There is no other way to describe me. I am the leading scorer for the Bellevue Bullies, I’m the captain, and people love me: my family, my teammates, my coach, and the NHL. I already have one foot in the draft and I’m ready. This is my last year in college–it’s basically a conditioning year to get me ready for the NHL, to further my game, and I have to be focused. But then, it’s also my last year to have fun and not give a damn before my life really starts. Which means I’m gonna run through every girl I meet. That’s my plan. Because my one and only love is hockey. It keeps me warm even when it’s freezing. It’s always there when nothing else is. And it pushes me to be the best I can be. It’s my love.

That is, until I see her against a tree with a guitar.

Avery.

The last thing I wanted was to meet anyone. My heart is on the bench because I’ve watched my mom get broken by the person I call my father, and I don’t want that for myself. I don’t want to be hurt by anyone. I can’t give them that power.

But my heart is begging for ice time, and I can’t control it around her.

* * *

I’ve always been in the background. No one has ever had time for me and that’s fine; I’ve learned to cope. Coming from a family where hockey is life, the last thing I want is some big, burly hockey player charging at me. I don’t have time for it, but Jace Sinclair isn’t one to be deked around. The thing is, I came to the University of Bellevue for one reason and one reason only. To make my dreams of being a singer/songwriter come true. To work in the industry and pay my dues. Become who I really want to be.

I didn’t want to meet anyone. I didn’t want to end up freezing the puck with him. It’s not what I want.

I have demons.

I have issues.

Living in the shadows, no one even knew until it was too late. But Jace wants to know.

He wants me.

And that scares me the living hell out of me.


We were so worried about what would happen if we fell, but we never thought what could happen in the process of falling. We never saw it coming. But it’s here, and the repercussions are not pretty. We should have known that there is no way out of the zone when you are being Hooked by Love.

Drown A Twisted Take on The Classic Fairy Tale by Esther Dalseno

Goodreads Summary:
Seven emotionless princesses.
Three ghostly sirens.
A beautiful, malicious witch haunted by memories.
A handsome, self-mutilating prince.

Belonging to a race that is mostly animal with little humanity, a world obsessed with beauty where morality holds no sway, a little mermaid escapes to the ocean’s surface. Discovering music, a magnificent palace of glass and limestone, and a troubled human prince, she is driven by love to consult the elusive sea-witch who secretly dominates the entire species of merfolk. Upon paying an enormous price for her humanity, the little mermaid begins a new life, uncovering secrets of sexuality and the Immortal Soul. As a deadly virus threatens to contaminate the bloodstreams of the whole merfolk race, the little mermaid must choose between the lives of her people, the man she loves, or herself.


A complete reinvention of Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy tale, this is a magical-realist fable that captures the essence of sacrifice and the price of humanity.

My Review:
The title to this one is completely accurate. It is definitely a twisted take on the Little Mermaid. However it is one of my favorite versions. It was so similar yet so vastly different then the classic tale we all know. The Little Mermaid knows she is different then her sisters. She feels. She wants more then the life she has. She feels for a boy. A boy who's life she saved one night when he had given up on life. What is she to do? There is only one option. That option is to go to the sea witch and ask for what she wants most. To be on land with the man she loves. Love to these creatures is something they have long forgotten. It killed many of their kind and their hearts have grown cold and no longer beat. Why would the Little Mermaid want this? She is destined to be heartbroken and in pain forever. How will the Little Mermaid adapt to this new life? Will she get what she desires so much?

This tale is full of love, despite the stigma it has with the Mermaids. The Mermaids are not a loving race. They are cold and emotionless. Which is partly why the Little Mermaid must get away. She wants to love and have an immortal soul. The sea witch helps her with this but, in return she loses her ability to speak in a way not like the original tale. When the Little Mermaid gets to land she discovers it is not as easy to gain the love of another. There are obstacles and surprisingly other men that make it difficult. There are tender moments between the prince and her but, nothing to graphic. I hoped for more but, not with the Prince. I was a fan of someone else. You will have to read to find out who!

I loved this version of the story. I was sad at the ending. If you are looking for a happily ever after you may be surprised by this one. Which was good for me. It is an intense tale of love, sexuality, and heartbreak. It's the perfect mixture. If you are looking for a darker version of the Little Mermaid then this is the one you want. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!