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Review: These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

October 15, 2015 Lily B Review 41 ★★½

These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly
Series: Stand-Alone
Published by Random House Delacorte on October 27th 2015
Genres: Young Adult Historical Fiction, YA Thriller
Pages: 496
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: half-flame

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Set in gilded age New York, These Shallow Graves follows the story of Josephine Montfort, an American aristocrat. Jo lives a life of old-money ease. Not much is expected of her other than to look good and marry well. But when her father dies due to an accidental gunshot, the gilding on Jo’s world starts to tarnish. With the help of a handsome and brash reporter, and a young medical student who moonlights in the city morgue, Jo uncovers the truth behind her father’s death and learns that if you’re going to bury the past, you’d better bury it deep.

I don’t exactly know where this book and I went wrong. I really wanted to like it, and in a sense there were parts in the book that I did enjoy, but overall this was a big disappointment with me. Which sadness me because so many of my friends loved it, and I was so eager to read it myself, that it just turned into an absolute failure.

First, when I read the opening chapter I was excited. Grave digging, my imagination ran wild, I had all kinds of hopes for this book that ended up not only disappointing me but it fell completely flat.

Where do I start?

Jo. I honestly kind of hate her. She is a 17-year old that acts like she is younger, much, much, younger. Not only does she appear obtuse sometimes, but she is also naive, childish, melodramatic, too trusting, and overall not the smartest crayon in the box. Like in one scene while she is in Brooklyn, after facing so much danger already and learning the dark side of New York City, she goes ahead and thrusts some out of the mill older woman who offers her a ride back home, not even contemplating what kind of danger might be facing her trusting this woman and her husband. Now let me tell you something. I was raised in NYC and if some random older woman and her husband offered me a ride home while I was alone in a neighborhood I am not familiar with, I would run the other direction screaming fire. I guess it might just be me, but as an ex-New Yorker, I actually learned how to not trust people - an issue my husband and I choose to agree and disagree on.

Conveniently for Jo though there is always someone there to rescue her from her bad decisions, most notably Fay.

The romance was lame and honestly felt a little forced and fake. There were a few scenes that left me questioning if Eddie was actually using her for a story like her uncle has mentioned. Which in itself was never explained. When Eddie was confronted about it, he denied ever saying it, but the author never explained how Jo’s uncle pulled that one out of thin air. There wasn’t any tension and felt kind of instant.

I don’t understand why the book was over 400 pages long. It dragged a bit at times. I found myself wanting to finish it in hopes of a better ending, but everything I predicted at the beginning of the story came true, which actually only disappointed me more because it was that damn predictable. There had been parts that also felt a bit rushed and not only that but oddly written. In example, this scene, just found weird the way it was written:

“Oh, look!” Jo said. “The man sitting next to her just stood up. He knocked her gloves off the counter. Go return them to her, Oscar!”

“He’s crazy about her,” Eddie said as he watched his friend go.

Jo smiled. “I never would have guessed. Is she really a medical student?”

Maybe I would have to backtrack a little more for it to make sense on here, but stuff happened conveniently and the actions kind of felt odd?

There was mostly just the bad side of NYC at that time and good part. Not much in between.

I wanted to know more about the Tailor, he seemed kind of creepy.

I only really liked Fay in this book.

And the prologue or whatever it was that gave us a glimpse into what is happening later in the book, did not really reflect what happened later. It didn’t match. I can’t go too much into it, but the feelings and actions of the moment just did not match.

I also thought this would be more creepy due to the cover, but it really wasn’t. I was surprised Jo could not see the answers in front of her as the evidence continued to pile on, since I myself already figured who done it right after it happened.

Also, in one chapter her mother sucks.

Review: The Duke and Miss Christmas (The Heirs’ Club of Scoundrels Trilogy #2.5) by Amelia Grey

October 14, 2015 Lily B Review 16 ★★★½

The Duke and Miss Christmas (The Heirs' Club of Scoundrels Trilogy, #2.5) by Amelia Grey
Series: The Heirs' Club of Scoundrels Trilogy #2.5
Published by St. Martin's Paperbacks on October 13th 2015
Genres: Adult Historical Romance
Format: Kindle Edition
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: three-flames

This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Crispin, the Duke of Hurst, has never met a woman he couldn't handle--until he's hit over the head with a basketful of mistletoe by a young lady who mistakes his intentions. When he gets into a tussle with her--and she can hold her own--Crispin knows he has finally met his match.
Miss Gwen Prim is mortified that she attacked a duke, but even more concerning is the way her resolve melts when she's near him. She's never felt this way about a London gentleman in her life. And with the magic of Christmas in the air, she may end up with a proposal she didn't expect...in this delightful Regency gem, The Duke and Miss Christmas by New York Times bestselling author Amelia Grey

Delightfully charming and sweet read, too bad it ended up being so short.

When Crispin, the Duke of Hurst finds a young injured girl, the last thing he expected was to suddenly be attacked by her older sister with a basket. After striking him in the face and causing a cut under his eye, Gwen and Crispin ends up in the tussle. Unaware that Crispin is a duke who was only trying to help her younger sister Sibyl, she accidentally mistakes him for an attacker and boy can Gwen hold her own.

“Let me up, you foul beast!” She ground out a hiss as she struggled to break free.

Not a chance in hell, he thought as his fingers tightened.

When the realization who she had attacked finally sinks in, Gwen cannot help but feel bad and a little ashamed for striking the duke and not giving him a chance to escape. Her past had made her wary of other gentleman but she cannot help the attraction between them.

Loved the banter, loved the plot-line, and characters full of wit and humor but unfortunately because this is a novella, it made me wish for so much more. I think I especially loved Sibyl, Gwen’s cheeky young sister. She had to be my favorite part of the story. It is a shame that this is a trilogy because I do hope Miss Sibyl get’s her own book.

She gave him a smoldering expression of defiance and crossed her hands over her chest. “I don’t cry,” she stated firmly. “Crying is for babies.”

Thought I really did enjoy Grey’s writing and humor, it was the reason this novella fell a little short for me. I really liked Crispin and wished this was a full length novel. I wanted to feel more of a connection between the two characters but it was quite quick and I guess because everything was so quick I just couldn’t connect.

Another reason I gave it 3.5 stars is that I felt Gwen was a bit careless in the beginning. She could have really hurt her sister. Plus at the end, Gwen admitted in her rent that she loved Crispin but a little after she says to him, well you don’t know that I love you, and he acts like she never said it. That was kind of a blooper it felt on that part.

Overall, it was enjoyable, though quick. I needed something like among all the thrillers I have been reading, and this definitely gave me that. Do I wish it was longer? Absolutely, especially since this was a Christmas romance and I love to get lost in those.

Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #1) by J.L. Bryan

October 12, 2015 Lily B Review 21 ★★★★

Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #1) by J.L. Bryan
Series: Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #1
Published by Createspace on August 27th 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 218
Format: Kindle Edition
Source: Own Copy
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: half-flame

Ellie Jordan’s job is to catch and remove unwanted ghosts. Part detective, part paranormal exterminator, Ellie operates out of Savannah, Georgia, one of the oldest and most haunted cities in North America.
When a family contacts her to deal with a disturbing presence in the old mansion they’ve recently purchased, Ellie first believes it to be a typical, by-the-book specter, a residual haunting by a restless spirit. Instead, she finds herself confronting an evil older and more powerful than she’d ever expected, rooted in the house’s long and sordid history of luxury, sin, and murder. The dangerous entity seems particularly interested in her clients’ ten-year-old daughter.
Soon her own life is in danger, and Ellie must find a way to exorcise the darkness of the house before it can kill her, her clients, or their frightened young child.

Ellie Jordan is a ghost trapper and her and Stacey are called on to investigate a mansion haunting by the owners. Thinking it is nothing more than residual haunting, Ellie and Stacy are taken for a spin when they discover that the mansion has many layers and each one is more sinister than the first. Now they are facing something truly evil and must rely on each other if they want to survive catching this thing.

“Naturally, zipping out to a dark, long-abandoned loony bin on a likely wild goose chase, was not how I would have preferred to spend my afternoon.”

Admittedly I picked this one up because of Ali @ My Guilty Obsession and Heidi @ Rainy Day Ramblings and their awesome reviews. Wow, just wow. What a little gem. I came away with this so pleasantly surprised. The first book in the Ellie Jordan series came out a hit with me. The authors writing, imagination, realistic writing, setting and characters really resonated with me. I love how Bryan chose Savannah, Georgia for its known ghostly history. It made the story somehow more appealing because it made it kind of believable. I don’t know what I expected, but Bryan’s ghosts surprised me. Not only were they well written into the story, but they were kind of creepy and some of the scenes could come out downright scary, especially if you make a rookie mistake and read this book at night like I did. I came prepared for the final scene thanks to Heidi and read it during day time and that helped defuse the creepy factor.

I admit, when it comes to thrillers and ghost stories I am scared easily, but Bryan did an excellent job that beside now perking up at every sound at night, I found it truly enjoyable. The characters themselves were pretty awesome and the first book really set up the foundation for the rest of the series. It left me wanting more, I wanted to know more about Ellie and the ghost that set her on this path of ghost trapping, I wanted to know more about Stacey, but most of all I wanted more adventure.

I loved and admired how seamlessly Bryan can blend humor into the story. Ellie as the main voice of the story is funny, head strong, brave, but also underneath it all is still only just human and despite the brave facade that she puts up – she is just scared like everyone else.

“The bar looked like a place where meth-addicted rats went to die”

“We held each other while I cried and tried to get myself together.”

I found the plot itself interesting and kept my attention. Moments that made me want to hide under my covers, and moments where I couldn’t help but laugh. Overall, I felt like this was an amazing start to what is promising to be a very refreshing new series for me. I am looking forward to learning how Ellie’s boss got into the business and his story.

The only thing I did not understand was Ellie’s dislike of the idea of having a psychic work for them. It seems to me at times an extra pair of hands is not such a bad idea. Ellie seems to have a hard time believing the guy is genuine, but that does not stop her from using him, even if she still ends up denying his abilities while he is using them.

Also, did not understand fully how Jake’s abilities work. He can somehow see the ghosts and they talk to him, yet where they violently attack Ellie, they did not seem to have wanted to harm him - at least in that one scene. Everything else did come together at the end, and I wasn’t left with a lot of questions.

Oh the father of the family that called on Ellie, oh my god did I hate him for being such a jerk.

I have made a lot of highlights in the book of my favorite quotes and scenes. I will leave you with two more. If you love a good ghost story, I strongly suggest picking this book up now and giving it a shot. It is free on amazon at this very moment.

“If he’d hurt my cat, I would probably zap him in the eyeballs”

“Things I would rather do than get possessed by a ghost include eating a bucket of live leeches, swimming in piranha-filled waters while bleeding from a dozen cuts, and sticking my head into the mouth of a hungry, hungry hippo.”

I feel like I need the next book in the series now. Hopefully I can get my hands on it and make some time for it to read it, cause seriously I found a new addiction.

Once Upon a Grind (Coffeehouse Mystery #14) by Cleo Coyle

October 10, 2015 Lily B Review 49 ★★★★½

Once Upon a Grind by Cleo Coyle
Series: Coffeehouse Mystery series #14
Published by Berkley on September 1st 2015
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 464
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: one-flame

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Billionaire Blend—a mystery with a sleeping beauty that is “so much fun to read.”*
It’s Fairy Tale Week in New York City, and Clare Cosi has given her coffee truck a “Jack and the Beanstalk” makeover for the Central Park festival. Her ex-husband has contributed a bag of African coffee beans with alleged magical properties, and his octogenarian mother is giving out readings of the grinds. But Clare remains skeptical—until she receives a vision that helps her find a young model’s body in the park’s woods.
The police dismiss “sleeping beauty” as the victim of a drug overdose. But when Clare uncovers evidence that points to murder, she winds up with a dangerous predator on her heels and an investigation that leads right back to her own NYPD detective boyfriend. If she doesn’t solve this mystery fast, those magic beans predict an unhappy ending.
*Once Upon a Romance

It’s a Fairy Tale Week in New York City and Central Park is hosting the festival. To get into the spirits, Clare Cosi has given her coffee truck and its employees a Jack and the Beanstalk appeal. For the most part everything seems great until her boyfriends ex shows up and insists Clare watches the kids, her own ex-husband brings magic beans with supposed magical properties, and his mother wants to give a Clare reading of the grind. Clare doesn’t want to believe it, until she has her own vision that leaves her unsettled.

When Mike’s kids go missing, it’s up to Clare to try to find them. Going by the hunch of her visions, Clare makes her way into the park’s woods in hopes of finding Marks kids. Her search not only turns up the kids, but looking for their little dog after had also led her to a pink princess body. Her ex Matt is immediately a suspect when the cop on the job jumps into the conclusion that just because Matt had to play her prince for the day, he must have been the only person who has seen her, and thus the last person in her presence.

Filled with interesting fairy tale visions, magic coffee beans, great characters, and crystal keys, Once Upon a Grind is an excellent read. I am from New York City myself, which is what originally appealed to me about this book. I was so curious, I found myself pleasantly surprised at how well Cleo Coyle handled the New York City culture and blended it seamlessly into a great story.

It made me smile and it made me laugh. Clare is an awesome character. Thought caring, kind, and determined, she is not immune to flaws. Clare has her own internal battle going on about her relationship with Mike and mowing to Washington D.C, which means giving up what she has in NYC, can she do it for the man she loves or does she stand to lose him?

I personally liked the addition of the magic beans into the story. It made it sort of enchanting, and really interesting. I looked forward to the visions because they were so creatively handled. I think Coyle did a remarkable job blending them into the story, where it almost made it sort of believable.

The secondary characters were awesome and really contributed to the whole story. I liked some of the sideline plots that were going on. Like personal issues with Clare’s employees, and Clare meets some interesting characters. I think it added to the book and made the background secondary characters come to life. I couldn’t help but allow the cast to grow on me. Thus probably why I couldn’t stand Mike’s ex wife Leila. I found her irresponsible and selfish, but at the same time I understood that she does the things she does because she is so self-centered that she does not know how else to live her life. When the time came to protect her children, she was one wild mother bear and that made me respect her more.

Enough of my rambling, this book was great. I found Once Upon a Grind to be a cozy mystery with a lot of heart. If you love cozy mystery with a bit of fairy tale and magic beans mixed into it, give this one a shot, you might not regret it. Though well over 400 pages, I found that I wasn’t bored with the story at all and already missing it.

Rikki by Abigail Strom

October 8, 2015 Lily B Review 43 ★★★★

Rikki (Hart University, #1) by Abigail Strom
Series: Hart University
Published by Abigail Strom on September 22nd 2015
Genres: NA Contemporary Romance
Pages: 212
Format: Kindle Edition
Source: Author
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: two-half-flames

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Ever since junior high and an ill-fated game of seven minutes in heaven, Rikki Eisendrath and Sam Payne have hated each others’ guts. But when they end up at the same college—and the same dorm—they figure it’s time to declare a truce.
They even become friends… sort of. But when Sam asks Rikki to model for his sculpting project, they start spending more time together—and her feelings for him get more complicated.
She tries to focus on the guy she’s been crushing on instead. But Sam’s the one she can’t stop thinking about, even though their arguments are starting to heat up as much as the chemistry between them.
With antagonism and attraction this intense, there’s bound to be an explosion. But when the dust settles, will Sam and Rikki be enemies, friends… or something more?

So I did something unthinkable yesterday. I read a book in one day. Something I did not think I would ever do now that I have an infant in the house, but even with the lack of sleep, so I thought it was worth it.

It took one game in Junior High to get Rikki and Sam to hate each other for most of their high school year. Two very motivated, driven teens who love the competition between each other on an intellectual level. Sam has always proven to be a worthy opponent to Rikki and she had never seen him past what he really was, her competition, her rival. When one ill-fated game of seven minutes in heaven leaves a lot of miscommunication, the two go through high school mostly not speaking. But fate brings them back together their first year in college. Of course being under the same roof, the two call a truce and become friends, except sparks fly and soon test the boundaries of their relationship.

Wow. I did not know I was going to enjoy this book as much as I did, but the moment I picked it up I did not regret it. I found myself pulled into this world, Strom’s writing and had a really hard time putting it down. I honestly don’t know how I made it through the book in one day, I know I missed hours of sleep because of it, but I have done it. The plan was to finish it in two days, but once I got involved with Rikki and Sam, I knew I had to find out how it was all going to turn out.

The romance was slow burn and exciting. The character’s felt, real, true, and emotionally raw. I loved watching Rikki grow through the story, and I loved that Strom kept her character true to form. Rikki was inexperienced, but she was far from perfect and flawed in her own way. She wasn’t good in relationships, she never really had a grown up relationship, so when she finds herself in college she wants a boyfriend. Despite her want for adult relationship, I still found glimpses of her teenage like innocence. She isn’t readily prepared for the influx of emotion she starts to suddenly feel towards Sam, and doesn’t know how to handle it. Her inexperience only ends up causing more headache than necessary between the two as well as her inability to deduct that she was the girl who Sam wants but thinks he cannot have.

“I’ve wanted you for six years”

Sam, poor foolish Sam. I honestly couldn’t believe he didn’t pick up on her actions. Okay, they weren’t the greatest moves to seduce in the world, but the girl practically had it written all over her face. Why didn’t he just ask her?

“You want to fight with me?” he asked with a grin. “It seems like we’ve been doing that for years.” “No. I want to fight for you.”

I was really rooting for these two. Given their inexperience the romantic in me was hoping for the two to be together, but then Sam went and done something stupid and I felt a small crack in my heart for Rikki.

Okay, to be fair. I get it, he didn’t know. But I also felt it was a little out of character for him. I didn’t feel like he had enough for him to drink to do that, not when he had other beliefs about the whole situation. For him to assume that poor inexperienced Rikki was headed in that direction was pigheaded. I found myself uncharacteristically angry and a little heartbroken. I am still not 100% sure I agree with the choice here, alcohol or not, but whatever. I picked up the pieces and plowed on with the story in hopes it got the little cracks healed.

It did, Abigail Strom did manage to take the little pieces and neatly place them back together. I did come to the conclusion that I was just being a grumpy hopeless romantic and Sam wasn’t with her at that time, his inexperience was also his flaw biggest flaw here.

I think I spent more time blabbing than writing an actual review, but you get it. I found myself very invested with the characters and was rationalizing their mistakes. In the end, I loved the story, I thought it was good. I took some brownie points for Sam’s stupid mistake, which I found out of character, and alcohol or not, I didn’t feel like he would have done it. I love that there was enough steam in it without being too much, just seemed perfect for these two. Unlike other New Adult books out there, this one was refreshing, tame and a wonderful, well written read. Looking forward to the next book in the series featuring Claire and I think Will 😉

I have been doing this thing lately, taking suggestions on some of my reads from friends. I picked this one up because Ali @ My Guilty Obsession really enjoyed it. Had good experience so far, so how about it what book did you guys seriously loved recently that you think I should give a shot? I am taking suggestions! Any genre is welcome

P.S. The gif review was just me mixing it up a little.

Waiting on Wednesday: Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1) by Susan Dennard

October 7, 2015 Lily B WoW 33

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating. I have not done this in a while, so I thought, why not?

This week I am eagerly awaiting Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1) by Susan Dennard . I am as equally excited as I am scared, mostly because this book is generating such a huge buzz, but unlike most I did not get a chance to read a sneak peek, so I am just going by the fact that I love Fantasy and can’t wait to try it!

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.

What do you guys think? What are all of you waiting for?

Go Home Flash by Ruth Paul

October 6, 2015 Lily B Review 12 ★★★½

Go Home Flash by Ruth Paul
Series: Stand-Alone
Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky on October 6th 2015
Genres: Children Picture Book
Pages: 32
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Playful puppy Flash doesn't want to stay home- he wants to go on adventures with his favorite people! Even to places he shouldn't be...But his owners know it's because he misses them while they're away, and they miss him too!

A cute story about a puppy who wants to go anywhere his family goes, even places he shouldn’t, by sneaking out. It’s a very simple book, easy to read and great for children who are either just learning new words or learning how to read. The book is simplistic, with really beautiful illustrations. I thought Flash was a cute puppy who just wanted some attention, I did not find his behavior bad in any way. Unfortunately, I wished for a little more because of it. I know the summary said that the family misses Flash as he misses them. I got that he was missing the family from his behavior, but maybe from the lack of words or how it was presented, I did not find that the family had missed Flash. When they come home, they don’t have the time to play with him and don’t acknowledge him until the puppy goes to sleep under the quilt and they find themselves looking for him to take him out. I know the intention of the author was also to display that the family missed him, but somehow I believe that it fell short, either due to not enough explanation in the story or illustrations.

A side of me wanting just a tad bit more, my son in general loved the illustrations and seemed to like Flash. At least’s that’s what I gather from him squealing and touching the picture 😉

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

October 5, 2015 Lily B MondayReading 27

Welcome to It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? A weekly meme hosted by Book Journey, where we share what we have read in this past week and what we are planning to read next. I have never been a part of this, but hey it’s a new blog and honestly I wanted to try something new and add more content to my site.

What I am currently reading

Once Upon a Grind (Coffeehouse Mystery #14)by Cleo Coyle

Half way done and really enjoying this one. A very different kind of mystery set in NYC. Being from NYC I was naturally curious. Pink Princess’ in a coma, crystal keys and magic beans? Yes please.

These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

About 30% done with this one. So far enjoying it, interesting read for October.

Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #1) by J.L. Bryan

So honestly I finally picked this one up because of the praises it got from both Ali @ My Guilty Obsession and Heidi @ Rainy Day Ramblings since its October and I wanted something fun and scary. Yup def getting that out of this book. The writing is also so good.

What I recently Finished Reading

The Guardian of Blackbird Inn (Wicked Tales) by Kerry Adrienne

A paranormal with a lot of potential that fell completely short. My Review

What I Hope to be Reading Next

The Adventuress (Lady Emily #10) by Tasha Alexander

Rikki (Hart University, #1) by Abigail Strom

At least those are the two I hope to read. I am sure I will add on a 3rd one anyway, since I read based on what my mood strikes me at the point. But those are in the plans.

The Guardian of Blackbird Inn by Kerry Adrienne

October 4, 2015 Lily B Review 14 ★★★

The Guardian of Blackbird Inn by Kerry Adrienne
Series: Wicked Tales #5
Published by ARe Books on October 1st 2015
Genres: Adult Paranormal Romance
Format: Kindle Edition
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Rating:
Heat Rating: three-flames

This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Saving the inn might mean losing her life.
Sophia Yates travels to the famed and haunted Blackbird Inn to help its mysterious owner, Garren Amsel, research its history. The state wants to claim eminent domain and take the property, but the historical inn has been in Garren’s family for generations and he can’t bear to lose it.
After learning the truth behind the inn’s biggest mystery, and why Garren stays, saving Blackbird Inn may cost Sophia her life. How far will she go to protect him?

Sophia travels to the famous Blackbird Inn to lend a helping hand to its owner Garren Amsel when the state wants to claim eminent domain and destroy the Inn to build a highway. Together they dive into the Inn’s secrets to uncover its history, but Halloween is coming and it’s secrets might put Sophia and Garren in danger.

First. I liked the plot, I thought it was actually quiet interesting. The setting was fascinating, and I loved the Gothic feel of the book. It’s been a while since I read a book with a Gothic feel, so I was really excited. Unfortunately the entire thing not only fell short, but disappointing as well.

The story felt rushed. Everything was happening so quickly after Sophia’s arrival. The ghosts, the attractions, the entire mystery. I felt like the entire book could have benefited from being a full novel. The set up and the mystery was all there, all it needed was a bit more substance to make it more interesting. I think it could have been a great story.

-Sophia’s attraction to Garren was odd. It was really instant and to be honest because it was so rushed, I did not feel any kind of flame between them. Honestly, not even a flicker. It felt one-sided for most of the book when he finally suddenly had this interest in her out of nowhere, followed by the two falling into bed together unable to keep their hands off each other. If the book was longer, the relationship and the tension building could have made them more interesting, instead it really felt silly. Unfortunately, due to its quick read, it was hard to connect with the characters.

The mystery came and went quickly. Everything clicked too quickly and the last scene was anti-climatic. In fact, it was so disappointing, I had to keep from rolling my eyes when it happened because honestly nothing really happened. Yes, there was a bad guy. Yes Sophia had a secret. The last showdown felt like you are watching a rapidly growing fire that just snuff out with a dose of water. I was like…. Is that it?

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I thought the ghosts happened too quickly. Why did Sophia have all those weird visions she never had before? I did not feel that was ever explained. Was the Inn ever in great trouble? I don’t feel like that was ever explained either ,since it ended so abruptly. The premise said the Inn was famous but I never got the feel that the Inn ever get’s any visitors. Garren said they had some the night Sophia came in but somehow all those visitors left quickly in the morning without waking Sophia up. Why did the ghosts take on an orb shape and a human shape? And why didn’t they turn human and help Sophia more during the final showdown? Why was everything happening this Halloween? What made it so different? What would have happened if they did not stop the bad guy?

You would think that this is an erotica, so therefor the plot does not matter. It was NOT an erotica. Was there a scene between these two? There was and honest, it wasn’t really that bad. There was only one love scene.

In the end, this entire book had the setup to be potentially really good. Unfortunately, it lacked in its strength due to its length, rushing through the parts that could have been exciting and not really giving a breather to connect with the characters.

I gave it three stars generously because I enjoyed the plot despite its long list of shortcomings. It was still a nice quick read if you are looking for something not to take up a lot of your time this Halloween.

Forever Your Earl by Eva Leigh

October 2, 2015 Lily B Review 13 ★★★★

Forever Your Earl (The Wicked Quills of London, #1) by Eva Leigh
Series: The Wicked Quills of London #1
Published by Avon on September 29th 2015
Genres: Adult Historical Romance
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
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Rating:
Heat Rating: four-flames

This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Eva Leigh's irresistible new series introduces the Wicked Quills of London: a group of bold, brilliant female writers whose spirited allure is beyond seductive...
Eleanor Hawke loves a good scandal. And readers of her successful gossip rag live for the exploits of her favorite subject: Daniel Balfour, the notorious Earl of Ashford. So when the earl himself marches into her office and invites her to experience his illicit pursuits firsthand, Eleanor is stunned. Gambling hells, phaeton races, masquerades . . . What more could a scandal writer want than a secret look into the life of this devilishly handsome rake?
Daniel has secrets, and if The Hawk's Eye gets wind of them, a man's life could be at stake. And what better way to distract a gossip than by feeding her the scandal she desperately craves? But Daniel never expected the sharp mind and biting wit of the beautiful writer, and their desire for each other threatens even his best-laid plans.
But when Eleanor learns the truth of his deception, Daniel will do anything to prove a romance between a commoner and an earl could really last forever.

Forever Your Earl is the first book in The Wicked Quills of London by Eva Leigh and it follows a brilliant woman, Eleanor Hawke, a writer who lives for a good scandal to entertain the readers of her newspaper with. When one of her favorite subjects shows up in her office, the last thing Eleanor expects was to end up experiencing his illicit pursuit by the earls side.

Ashford has his own reasons for allowing Eleanor to tag along on his exploits. As long as the woman keeps her focus on his rakish behavior for her newspaper, he can continue searching for his friend Jonathan and hopefully keep his family out of a scandal that can ruin them, should his disappearance go public.

If you have followed me for a while, you know I love my historical romance and Eva Leigh did a good job delivering exactly what I wanted. A swoon worthy romance, an entertaining plot, and well written main characters.

Eleanor and Ashford were fantastic together.

“You set me adrift,” she confessed.
“And you anchor me,” he answered.

Seriously. They had so many moments that melted my heart. She was a hard working woman who made a name for herself and built her newspaper from scratch. He is an earl who has a lot of money, lots of free time on his hands and very unsure of the purpose he has in his life. Together, they made a great duo that I could not help but root for, especially when in their day and age, society would frown upon their match.

“We’ve degenerated into name-calling now.” She shook her head. “The last refuge of those deprived of wit.”
“Now who’s calling names?” He grinned.

The banter between them was so much fun. I loved how the two clicked together and the tension that built around their relationship. Eleanor seemed to have bought out a different side of Ashford, a very vulnerable side that not even Ashford he was aware of. His confessions to her about not knowing his purpose was heart touching.

The plot I found interesting as well. Daniel (Ashford) search for his friend fueled Eleanor’s writing and the reason why the two have ventured into some questionable places. Jonathan’s story was also very heartbreaking, a veteran of war with demons. I hope he eventually get’s his own book.

This was my first taste of Leigh writing and I really did enjoy it. I am looking forward to exploring more of her writing in the future.

I leave you with one more…

A long while later, she said, “You’ve a peculiar way of showing a woman you love her.”
“Never done it before,” he answered.