Bond & Benevolence: Good Radical

Warning!

This book contains spoilers for Bond & Benevolence: Good Raider if you haven't read it go read it. NOW!!!

A Brief Summary: When we last saw Samantha she had been kidnapped while in Darfur now she is being held captive and Ophelia and Mrs. Doyle are trying to cope with the loss. However, they're more focused on getting her back. But getting her back isn't going to be near as easy as they had hoped.

My Review: What can I say this book was just as captivating as the first. As in the first book the story splits perspectives between Samantha and Ophelia. With this being primarily from Ophelia's prospective.

In this instalment of the story you get to see how someone who is so close to a person who has caused incredible destruction copes. How their life is all about survival. Getting through the next day.

You also see Ophelia growing up at an alarming rate. Training to help find her sister. Her family had been shattered before but now it's been splintered and she's clinging to what she has left.

This book was amazing, and I can't wait to see where the series goes from here.

I received this book courtesy of the author in exchange for my review which I freely and honestly give.

The Wells Bequest by Polly Shulman

A Brief Summary: Leo never believed time travel could be real until his sees a time machine in action, and and he's in it! In his quest for the time machine he is lead to The New-York Circulating Material Repository where he discovers the Wells Bequest a special collection that is full of objects from science fiction books, such as shrink rays, submarines, oh and a time machine. When a threat is made Leo and his friend Jaya must travel to 1895 to meet Nikola Tesla and to prevent an invention of his from being stolen. Full of adventure and excitement this book will capture your interest and keep you spellbound from start to begin.

My Review: This book is a companion novel to The Grimm Legacy, not a direct sequel. All that really means is it doesn't directly follow the first book, it's in the same universe but not the same story with the same characters.I really enjoy companion novels, you can read them without knowing anything about the main story. It may have references and you'll understand some of the inside knowledge better if you've read the main story but it's not necessary.

Anyway this book was amazing. Time travel in the hands of two teenagers can't possibly be boring right? You get references to science fiction legends including H.G. Wells,  and Jules Vern, descriptions of amazing technology that was featured in their books, that people in this universe can access.

I also enjoyed that Nickolas Tesla was given props in this book. He is one of the most talented inventors who have ever lived and is just now getting the recognition that he deserves. It's nice to see someone show him as the brilliant inventor that he is.

This book is aimed at a younger audience due to the young age of the protagonists. However someone who's slightly older will also really enjoy this book and understand some of the references to famous books better.

Stillwell: A Haunting on Long Island by Michael Phillip Cash

A Brief Summary: After the loss of his beloved wife Allison Paul struggles to find some sort of normal. The night terrors he's started to have, shared by his son Jesse. One of the first houses he takes on after his wife's passing is Stillwell manor, his friend Craig's childhood home. This home is going to be a tough sell due to the fact the most recent owners committed a murder suicide. Along with the fact that Stillwell has long assumed to be haunted. A haunting that may be connected to Paul's dreams of Allison/

My Review: This is my third book I've read by Michael Cash, and he still blows me away with his talent. The prologues draw you in, the main story keeps you captivated, and the epilogue ties up all of those pesky loose ends.

A favorite part of mine of all of Michael's books is that fact that he weaves past and present together. Allison and her distant relative tied together to create a powerful story. I really enjoyed all of the characters, they're diverse and well developed.

Michael Phillip Cash is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

I received this book from Brittney Bass (Michael's publicist) in exchange for my free and honest review.

Since You've Been Gone by Mary Jennifer Payne

A Brief Summary: Edie has spent the last five years of her life running from her past. From town to town, now to an entirely new country. Throughout this time the only constant she has had is her mom, but now her mom is missing. Alone in England, she can't call the police or they'll alert her father, the reason they've been on the run for so long. Will she be able to find her mother?

My Review: Not going to lie when I saw the title I may have started humming Since You've Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson. Which oddly paralleles this book. Anyway this is an extremely quick read. It's pretty good, but I would've liked it to be a teeny bit longer just for some more details. I liked Edie, but she didn't develop too much over the story.

Also I wasn't in love with how it ended. For lack of a better way to put it, it was unsatisfying. After a grand search the climax is a little anticlimactic. A story that had so much potential feels rushed and underdeveloped. I'm slightly disappointed but the book at least made a valiant effort.

This book is set to release on February 17 of 2015 you can pre-order your copy from amazon now.

I recieved this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review.

Tainted Blood by Karen Greco

A Brief Summary: Nina is a witch/vampire hybrid, and a member of an elite branch of the Department of Defense, the Blood Ops. While on what should have been a routine mission Nina and her partner Frankie encounter a vampire with Opium poisoning, something that can actually kill vampires. Now in a race against time they need to find patient zero before the infected vamps can cause any more chaos. While trying to find patient zero the mayor; Bertrand, a closet demon, comes to Nina and Frankie with a job that will end up being more tied up with their current mission then they ever thought possible.

My Review:
This is book two of the Hell's Belle series. As I have a tendency to I dropped into the series in the second book... Oops? Anyway as someone who jumps into the middle of the series I can tell you that you'll be able to figure out what's going on pretty quickly. Personally I grew to care about Nina, Casper, and Frankie extremely quickly. Max well he's just not my type I guess.

To me Tainted Blood has it all; humor, fantasy, mystery and a little bit of romance. It's an extremely well written story, that makes you care about the characters and want to know what happens next in the series.

After a major cliffhanger of an ending I'm going to have to read the next book just so I can figure out what happens.

I recieved this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review.

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

A Brief Summary: Taran has always wanted to be a hero but he's going to learn that being a hero is a lot harder than it looks. Along with a rag tag bunch of  misfits he searches for Hen Wen an oracular pig, and travels to Castle Darthyl to warn the king that his enemies are massing and he is on the brink of war.

My Review:
I received this entire series from my wonderful boyfriend for my birthday. He's learned that books are a surefire way to my heart. What an amazing guy :D

Anyway onto the book! I was interested in this series initially because of the movie The Black Cauldron which was loosely adapted  from this series.

From searching for a oracular pig, leading a band of misfits, to making, sometimes costly, mistakes you see Taran grow-up. He starts as kind of an idiot with no common sense, to a leader.

I can't wait to read the rest of the series and see how he develops further.

The Fifth Vertex by Kevin Hoffman

A Brief Summary: On what was to be the worst day of his young life Ursa's world gets turned on its head. Being branded a culled, a non-warrior in Kest is akin to a death sentence, and that is Ursa's fate. He has failed the gauntlet, he decides to take his own life rather than to bear the shame of the mark of the culled. However this attempt wakens an ancient power within him, that may be exactly what is needed to save his world from an ancient evil that threatens to destroy the Vertices, and with them the barriers between the worlds.

My Review:
Loved this book, I loved it so much. From Ursa being a gentle giant, to Ciliax being a good, but slightly power hungry blood mage, to Goodwyn being the master fighter with a secret all his own. A brand new epic fantasy series that will draw readers young and old.

Honestly I didn't read the blurb well enough to know that Ursa was deaf from the beginning. It took awhile to figure out because it isn't a huge deal. The author chose to make it just a part of Ursa rather then define him with it, a choice that I really appreciate.

I also enjoy how you learn a lot about a couple of different cultures from the Kest, where Ursa and Goodwyn are from, to the Beine, a dwarf-like race. The author condenses a lot of traditions and history of these regions into a side part of a wonderful book.

The next book in this series can't be released soon enough, I want to know what happens next.

I recieved this book from NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review.

The One by Belle Ami

A Brief Summary:  Adelia just lost her parents in a tragic accident, that might not have been an accident. Dealing with the grim reality she is now surrounded in she meets Miles, a mysterious man that may have known her parents. They meet while she is competing at the Grand Prix Following a whirlwind romance they fall in love and marry. All seems perfect but Miles twin sister has a secret one that could tear Adelia's world apart.

My Review:
This book was all sorts of confusing. From a prolouge that doesn't tie in, to rapey sex scenes. This book has issues, plain and simple. Don't get me wrong it's interesting, at least in the beginning. I'll admit I almost rage quit when things got too ridiculous.

For a supposedly loving husband Miles is terrible. So many secrets, so many weird ass conversations with his twin, you know something is up. And don't get me started on the extremely twisted twin.

This book has a lot of graphic sex scenes if you're not interested in that kind of thing this book is not for you.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review.

In a Vertigo of Silence by Miriam Polli

A Brief Summary:
Emily's family has secrets. After all who doesn't? But these secrets have caused a family to be fractured, the subtle balance of sanity to be shifted and all for what? A secret that is hidden from Emily from the time she was six weeks old. Now it's the time for the secret to be revealed, how will it coming out in to the open effect Emily and her family?

My Review:
This book spans a wide period of time, from about 1920-1966. Granted it's not linear it's divided up into chapters switching from Emily's perspective to one of her relatives in the past.

The story is one that makes you stop and think. It deals with adultery, death, abuse and mental illness in a time when it was even less understood. All things that are powerful on their own, but woven together as skillfully as Miriam has, it's breath taking.

At times I felt torn in who to root for, I mean Emily is the obvious protagonist but when you learn why some of the other characters made the choices they did, you start to like them more and root for them.

I really hope this author keeps writing. Her work is inspiring and profound, and I'm sad that she has no other novels published yet because I'd love to read them.

Warning this book might make you cry and give you large amounts of feels, and it's completely worth it.

I received this book courtesy of Net Galley in exchange for my free and honest review.

The Obituary Society by Jessica L. Randall

A Brief Summary:
Lila Moore has never been to her grandfather's hometown. He had left years ago, but why... well either nobody knows anything or nobody is willing to say anything. Now after his death he leaves Lila his ancestral home, that's filled with memories, history, and secrets. The matrons of those secrets is Auburn's Ladies Society also know as the Obituary Society. These nosy ladies include Lila's great-aunt Ada, who Lila is living with while she's fixing up her grandfather's house. While fixing it up she meets Max the widower with an adorable daughter, and Asher the town lawyer, both are incredibly attractive but are they worth sticking around for?

My Review:
This book is adorable! I love the ladies society, it reminds me of some of the ladies in my town. Growing up in a small town the setting of this story are very familiar to me. It's a nice feeling, knowing everyone and everyone knowing you. There's no better way to grow up in my opinion.

Lila is a wayward girl, her life has been adrift since the death of her grandfather. The story is captivating and it pulls you in, making you want more. Everything comes full circle, from the memories that are sprinkled throughout, to the recipes that are at the end of the book. All the loose ends are tied up beautifully.

Although this book isn't part of a series I could easily see this becoming the beginning of one. Personally I'd love to see more from Auburn's Ladies Society.  However if that's not to be, this is a great book all on it's own.

In Between by Jenny B. Jones

A Brief Summary:
Katie Parker's life is perfect. Well that's if perfect is going to live with a foster family because your mom is in prison for drugs, yeah not quite. Coming to live in the small town of In Between with Pastor James Scott and his wife Millie. After a rocky start with some not so grand people, Katie is on probation, helping restore the Valiant the local theater, and reading to her foster grandmother. Surrounded by a town full of faith will Katie be able to find some faith of her own?


My Review:
A girl who's life has always been a little bit crazy. Growing up a latch-key kid she's always been a little bit of a troubled kid, bad grades, a few little slip ups here and there, but now she's got a real chance. Foster parents that actually care, a town that's tiny but might end up being more than just a stop on the map.

I really loved this. I love Katie how she tries to be a tough girl but she's really just scared. I love how you Katie is realistic and some one you can really root for. This series is adorable and reminds me of the Anne of Green Gables series. A classy down to earth story about growing up.

Flirting with Magick by Leigh Bennett

A Brief Summary:
After finding a spell book Abby decides to try it out. I mean after being dumped by her boyfriend of three years, what could a love spell hurt? But as the book implied the results aren't obvious and Abby has to figure things out on her own. She has to decide between; Scott, the bassist in her cousins band, Josh, her ex, and Sean the cute guy at work. It might not be easy but then again when is flirting with magick easy?

My Review:
Abby's love life is a crazy mess, and that makes for a great story. She is a typical person, who has decided to make some changes in her life. Beginning a new job, going out with friends, changing up her views on relationships, just taking out a new lease on life. However with change comes uncertainty that is, the men, her ex who broke her heart, the rocker who might have stolen her heart, and the sweet boy next door co-worker.

I really enjoyed that Abby showed uncertainty and fear in moving too fast. It wasn't instant love. She gave everyone a chance, either to be nice or because it would be simple. That was great because that's what people do, you slip in to a comfortable relationship because you know them and its easy. Choosing someone new is scary and unpredictable. I loved how this book showed that.

All in all a wonderful book and I can't wait to read more by this author.

Hush by Stacey R. Campbell

A Brief Summary
Lili and Graham Henry have always longed for a child, but being unable to conceive they've turned to adoption. Little do they know the precious baby, Blakely, they've adopted is a princess from Tamura. Seventeen years later tragedy strikes the Tamura royal family, a tragic accident at a family reunion resulting in the death of every family member. Well all but one, but the only person who guesses at the relation is Max Ryder. A student at St. Andrews, the nephew of the late princess's nurse, he finds evidence of Blakely's lineage. He heads to Lakeview, her school, in order to find out the truth. But when the truth is discovered protecting Blakely is his only priority.

My Review
I read this series a bit out of order. I received the sequel from NetGalley to read and review and I fell in love with the series. Both book were extremely well written. The story ebbs and flows in a way that always keeps you interested.

You switch between several POV's, from Blakely's, to Max, to the villains of the story. Helping you to understand absolutely everything that's going on. And making you want to warn the character because you know that something's coming.

This is a sweet novel that's good for all ages. It's smartly written, with humor and wit. This is a wonderful author that I can't wait to read more from her.

Here's a link to my review of Whisper.
And here's a link to my interview with Stacey.

Miss Taken by Cleo Scornavacca

A Brief Summary
Rain spent most of her childhood confined due to a rare blood disorder now she faces confinement again, she's been kidnapped! The man who kidnapped her is Dominick Kane the estranged son of her fathers deceased business partner. He wants the share of the business that should have been his birthright and Rain is his way to get it. Despite kidnapping the wrong twin he's not going to stop until he gets what he wants, Rain and his dad's share of the business.

My Review:
This is a slight twist on your usual kidnapped victim falling in love with her captor. Rain having been confined for most of her life, isn't exactly docile, Dominick has way more trouble on his hand then he bargained for.

The family dynamics are a bit weird. Rain is close to her father despite living apart from him most of her life. And the twin dynamic is odd they act close in the beginning but they truly aren't and I'm really not a fan of Raven she seems a bit of a spoiled brat.

This book has very graphic sex scenes, so if you're not interested in that don't read this.

After reading this book I was intrigued enough to read the sequel, that's where the interest stopped. However Miss Taken is a good book, the rest of the series... well I'll let you decide.

Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings

A Brief Summary:
Rosa Garner is a young widow who has left her home in Mexico to travel with her mother-in-law to Texas. Here is the ancestral home of her late husband, after being shunned by her family it seems like the best place to start over. To her it represents her hopes and dreams maybe even a place to find love, but the town is skeptical as she has no idea how to behave like a lady. In steps Weston  Garner, he'll do anything to protect his family and that now includes more. But when she gets feelings for him outside of the realm of family things get a might bit more complicated.With only three months to save her new home will Rosa be able to do it, and manage not to fall for Weston?

My Review:
This is a sweet love story with a hint of faith. Rosa is a young widow who never had the love of her husband. Weston is a widower who blames himself for the death of his wife. The two are an unlikely couple, but when has that ever stopped anyone?

I adored the importance of family in this story. From Rosa's determination to help her mother-in-law, to the overwhelming support of the extended family. All in all a good read.

The Flip by Micheal Phillip Cash

Take a dilapidated house fix it up a bit and sell it. That's house flipping, Brad and Julie's hope for the future. To get her out of a dead end job with a sketchy boss, and to get him out of driving limos and doing landscaping. So they've taken a pretty big risk, an old Victorian home, it's a steal of a price but what's wrong with it? Well there's a lot of work that needs to be done, oh and it's haunted. There is that minor detail, and one of the ghosts has a tiny bit of a thing for Brad, but nothing could possibly go wrong could it?

This is a book that once you pick it up you don't want to put it down. After reading The After House, I was really excited to read more by Micheal Cash, and this doesn't disappoint. It seems he has truly found his niche. Tying the past into the present, having two distinct story lines mesh beautifully, all masterfully done.

I enjoyed how Julie and Brad's personalities are altered when in the house. Seeing as they are being influenced by the resident ghosts. Of the characters Gerald is my favorite, he's one of the ghosts. He's the most level-headed and in my opinion has the best back story. Tessa, the female ghost, however I'm not a major fan of.

Personally I'm really curious about the Sentinels, the guardians of the lost souls. They've made an appearance in both of the books I've read so far and they seem to have abilities that have yet to be explained. I hope future books touch on them more.

I can't wait to read more by Micheal he clearly knows what he's doing.

I received this book courtesy of Micheal's publicist in exchange for my free and honest review.

Bedding the Wrong Brother by Virna DePaul

After being dumped for a younger woman and told that it's because she's lousy in bed, Melina decides to enlist the help of her childhood friend Max to teach her the secrets of sex. One thing you should know about Max, his twin brother Rhys is the one Melina has been in love with for years. Max is just... safer, she's sure she won't lose her heart to him. However all bets are off when she wakes up next to the wrong brother.

A tale of childhood crushes coming to fruition, a sweet yet steamy love story. What would you do if you ended up in bed with the person you've been in love with forever and they thought you were someone else? Go with it and prove what you feel for them is real, or chicken out?

I really enjoyed the back story of the boys. Growing up the sons of traveling magicians and falling in love with the craft. Staying in touch with the one person outside of their family that has been with them their entire life. And one moment that changed the fate of Rhys and Melina forever. What that is however you'll just have to read and find out now won't you?

This books has explicit deceptions of sex so if you're not into that I don't recommend this book.

The After House by Michael Phillip Cash

 A fresh start, a new home, that's just what Remy and Olivia need. A year after a messy divorce things are finally starting to look up. What they don't realize is someone already lives in the new house.

This was a sweet ghost story. Switching from the past perspective of Captain Eli (the resident ghost), to the present perspective of Remy. Eli was a whaler, a hunter in order to provide for his wife and family. He has lost his memories of when he died. Now he's stuck.

I really enjoyed this book. It was so very sweet, a little bit of romance, a little bit of mystery, and a little bit of a ghost story. The way all of the elements are blended together are done masterfully. This author clearly knows what he's doing.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my fee and honest review.

Runes by Ednah Waters

Raine's life is average, two best friends, obsessed with swimming, just a typical teenager. That all changes when Torin St. James moves in next door. Despite having been in love with Erick for as long as she can remember she is drawn to Torin. But when strange things start happening Raine starts to miss her boring life. After all being in love only matters when your alive right?

This was a good paranormal fantasy. You have people with awesome abilities, who are also divided into different sub groups. Getting a glimpse into Raine's history just makes her more interesting. And the Erick vs Torin decision is fun to read about.

I really enjoyed the use of Norse mythology. Compared to Greek mythology you don't really have many books focusing on it. Which is really nice because it gives the author a lot more leeway.

The sneak peak of the next book has me very intrigued. I'm very curious what will happen to Raine, Torin, Erick and Cora.

The Job by Janet Evanovich and Goldberg Lee

Nick Fox is a criminal mastermind. Able to pull of anything from a heist to an incredibly detailed con, he's the best of the best. However he's established a relationship with the FBI so he helps them get the marks legally. Alongside Fox is Agent Kate O'Hare, keeping him on a short leash to the strait and narrow. This time the mark is a drug lord, one with a fondness for chocolate, and for killing everyone he's ever done business with. Will this be the con that not even Fox can pull off?

If you want a book that will capture your interest from the second you pick it up, this is definitely one to consider. From Nick the ex-con man, to Alex's ex-military father, you get a wide array of characters with distinct personalities. Personally I liked Nick and Jack the best. Nick because he's sarcastic and clever and is a person who I'd love to meet, but would hate to be on his bad side. Jack because I love when you have a father who clearly dotes on his daughter but teaches her practical skills, such as how to kill a person with what you have in your sack lunch.

Another part of the book I enjoy is how the authors go into detail about the skills required from each member of the team. From building the set for the con, to the computer design, or even the actor that made it all believable.

This is my first foray in the the series, and it doesn't disappoint. With only allusions to the prior books you can read this with no previous knowledge. It explains the relationships extremely well so there's no guessing at who's who.


I received this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review.

October Wrap up for 1,000,000,000 challenge!

This month I read twenty-five books, including a couple of mangas, one one-act play, and two novellas, all for a total of 7,481 pages.

This brings my current total up to 14,381 pages read. So I'm a little over 1% done with the challenge!

Two of my favorites from this month have been:

Whisper: It's an amazing YA mystery with just a touch of romance. I received this book courtesy of NetGalley, and I also had the opportunity to do an interview with the author Stacey, if you missed out on the interview click here to read it

Stardust: A fantasy romance, finding love where you least expect it.

Over all this month I read more thrillers then anything. I've just been on a kick of them, and I look forward to seeing where November takes me in the realm of books. Hopefully I'll get some awesome new ones for my birthday.

If you want to see what all I've read for this challenge click here. Also if you have any suggestions for books leave a comment and I will try my best to get to it!