Buffy's Ramblings

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Isabeau finds herself in over her head in a scheme that will cost her all the bridges she’s built, but it would all be worth it to have her child back in her arms and free. Dillon is left in charge of the colony while Harper and Emma visit Maddie and Clayton on Earth, and while his leg is better, he still struggles with it, as well as his time spent with Isabeau. Dillon’s mating change is upon him, but is it for the Evanti Isabeau is believed to be, and can he his past and present before his fears get the best of him? Thoughts: With every book in the series, Hailey Edwards just keeps raising the stakes! Isabeau’s got a few big secrets I never imagined and Dillon’s got his own secret as well as a darker past than I guessed. The combination makes for an emotional investment from the reader at the very beginning without ever letting go. In addition to getting to know these tw...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Five years after her life-long love tore Emma and her sister from their life of abuse and reportedly died the same night, he returned from the grave ready to claim her as his. But he’s haunted by the things he endured while held captive, and she’s wracked with guilt for her behavior during his absence. Their obstacles prove too great, driving them to spend another year apart in new roles back in Askara before trouble with raiders land Harper at Emma’s door once again. Thoughts: Who doesn’t love a tortured hero? I know a lot of us here at GT do, myself included. While the overall feeling from the book is what you expect from Hailey Edwards, but the experience itself is a little darker than her others, and it’s because Harper and Emma have both been through so much and are forced to face and really deal with it. In Everlong, Maddie and Clayton were sweet and cute together, wh...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: A princess in a cruel monarchy, Madelyn’s life is anything but perfect – until her guardian sacrificed his life to hide her and her half-sister in a realm full of opportunities. Years later, Maddie’s been living in a colony of humans and escaped slaves as her guardian’s widow, only to suddenly discover that he had a great many secrets, including a brother. Meeting Clayton opens Maddie's eyes to things she never dared imagine – just as news arrives that her “mate” may yet be alive, forcing her to make the choice between the man she always thought she knew and loved and the demon aching to lend her his wings. Thoughts: This story was a pleasant surprise. There’s no cheat sheet or anything for the world, so you just learn as you go, which is very easy given that the book largely takes place in a human setting, just centers on the demonic characters. I hadn’t read the blurb ...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Mana can communicate with the dead, but she’s out of her depth when a soul attaches itself to a canis and declares himself the soul of an old friend’s long dead father. What’s worse is that she’s stuck with Vaughn and can’t tell him where she’s getting her information, nor does she dare divulge her secret fantasies that very much involve him. Vaughn is a warrior, but Mana calls to his softer side, at least when they’re alone. Outwardly he needs to be just as intimidating as ever while treachery lurks around every turn. Thoughts: I loved book one of this series, so I was really excited to delve into the sequel. I have to admit, I feel let down. I liked some of the banter between Vaughn and Mana, and even many of the other characters seen periodically. I liked the canis angle and thought it was fun, even though we’re never made to be fans of Vaughn’s father from stories of h...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Suffering from agoraphobia after a horrific car accident, Chloe lives at her bookstore and spends her nights plagued by nightmares. A mysterious stranger, Nathaniel, offers her some help, but she senses there’s something more to him. Nathaniel grows weary of his existence reaping souls, but uses his abilities to save a woman in a car accident, unknowingly changing both their fates. Now drawn into a conflict neither ever sought to be involved in, they must fight the demons of Hell for a love they never thought possible. Thoughts: We get right down to it as the book opens up, when Nathaniel happens upon Chloe dying in the wreckage of a car crash and uses his special abilities to save her life. That scene alone shows just the kind of grey area that good and evil will fall under in this book, as well as the endless possibilities that are inherent throughout the story. Chloe’s ...

***This book was originally reviewed for GraveTells .*** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Summary: Forced to step up and rule upon the untimely death of her parents, Lourdes makes the tough decision of promising her hand in marriage to the only clan deemed strong and savage enough to safeguard her city and clansmen. Now she must trust her new partisan to help find her sister, feared captured, and bring her home safely. This is a story with love, loyalty, and danger abound! Thoughts: Reading a blurb that leads you to believe the fantasy world holds arachnid-like humanoids sounds interesting and unique, right? I thought so too…and I was not disappointed. I couldn’t put it down! The book opens up to Lourdes fleeing her would-be captors following the sudden demise of her ruling parents and seeking the help of her mother’s best friend, who happens to rule the most feared clan in the region, reputed to be cannibals. Despite the age-old friendship, her rescuer insists Lourdes ...

Thanks to Bewitching Book Tours for hosting this blitz. I'm sharing a little about Hailey Edwards's A Breath of Winter . Happy reading! ***************************** There’s no easy cure for a love of epidemic proportions. Araneae Nation, Book 4 Zuri and her mercenary brothers had a simple mission. Transport a captured harbinger to Erania and collect the bounty. But this job turns out to be anything but easy. Their welcome to the northland is nothing short of frigid. A scuffle with border guards and her prisoner’s attempted escape leave Zuri injured—and she and her brothers stuck in quarantine. Worse, the bounty comes with silken strings attached. Strings held by a scientist with a daring, dangerous plan. Because Zuri and her prisoner barged in before his fail-safes were in place, Henri had no choice but to lock them all down until he’s sure there’s no risk of spreading plague. He’d planned to study the harbinger, but it’s the mercenary holding the leash ...

Thanks to Bewitching Book Tours for hosting this blog tour. I have Hailey Edwards, author of A Time of Dying , here today listing her fave reads this year. Welcome! ***************************** Top Five Reads of 2013 This year has been tough for me writing and reading wise. There were tight deadlines, family matters, and a big move. It’s been crazy around here. Since I’ve been behind schedule with my writing, I haven’t been reading as much as I normally would. That means I’ve been super picky about which books get my money and my attention. These are the books that recharged me while I was writing A Time of Dying and A Breath of Winter. These are my favorites of 2013 (so far). 1. Cold Days by Jim Butcher. I am a longtime Dresden Files fan, and this book made the slower pace of the last two worthwhile. I’m so excited for the Skin Games I could pop. 2. MacRieve by Kresley Cole. I really enjoy the Immortals After Dark series. It’s funny, sexy, and a little crazy. These...

HAPPY RELEASE DAY! They just might survive…if they don’t kill each other first. Once the future Segestriidae maven, Kaidi lived a privileged life. Now she spends her nights haunting cities ravaged by the plague. Spade in hand, she stalks rows of freshly dug graves for corpses…and then she takes their heads. Her new life is caked in blood and spattered with gore, but it’s hers. At least until—to her fury—she’s caught napping. A plague survivor by the skin of his teeth, Murdoch risks his neck to solve the mysteries left in its wake. Bodies have gone missing. Guards have left their posts and never returned home. When he rouses a female dozing among the dead, he’s unprepared for the violence of her response. Or his. Beneath the grime, she’s lovely. Too bad the blood under her fingernails belongs to his clansmen. He has no choice but to follow this alluring creature deeper into her world of winged beasts and flesh-eating monsters. She holds the knowledge he craves, but the ...