vrijdag 27 juli 2012

A.L. Jackson - Take This Regret


Title: Take This Regret
Release Date: April 5th, 2012
Publisher: Sapphire Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance

There are some mistakes we make that we will regret for the rest of our lives.  For Christian, it was the day he betrayed Elizabeth. 

Christian Davison has a plan for his life.  He is determined to become an attorney and to one day take his place as partner in his father’s law firm.  Nothing will stand in his way, not even Elizabeth Ayers and their unborn child.

After Christian cuts her from his life, Elizabeth spends the next five years struggling to provide for her daughter and willing to sacrifice anything to give her child a safe, comfortable life.  

For five years, Christian has regretted the day he walked away from his family and will do anything to win them back just as Elizabeth will do anything to protect her daughter from the certain heartache she believes Christian will bring upon them.

When Christian wrestles his way into their lives, Elizabeth is faced with asking herself if it is possible to forgive someone when they’ve committed the unforgiveable and if it is possible to find a love after it has been buried in years of hate.  Or are there some wounds that go so deep they can never heal?

They say everyone deserves a second chance.


Take This Regret by A.L. Jackson is one of the most heart wrenching novels I’ve read lately. I was so captured by this story from the beginning and knew I had to keep reading to see if this couple would ever find happiness again.

Elizabeth and Christian are a young couple in love and trying hard to finish law school. But their love will come to an end when Elizabeth finds out she is pregnant and Christians give her the choice; him or their unborn child. Elizabeth chooses her child, heart broken she drops out of law school and move back to San Diego to raise her daughter Lizzie on her own.

Christian finished law school and takes a job in his father law firm, but he cannot forget Elizabeth and the way he treated her. When Christian moves to San Diego and accidentally stumbles upon his daughter, he knows deep down in his heart he wants his family back and he is determined to succeed on that front.

A.L. Jackson is a new author to me and I’m glad I had the opportunity to read this book. She has written a fabulous novel full of real emotions, great characters and a day-to-day storyline. This was definitely a novel where healing was the most important topic of it all, I found myself reading parts of the story with a lump in my throat and that don’t happen often. This author took me on a rollercoaster with raw emotions, frustrations and finally happiness.

Little Lizzie stole my heart from the beginning, she accepts Christian from the moment she meets him. It was so touchy to read how this little girl opens up herself for the love of her father who didn’t want her at first.

I can only say that I loved it, the characters, the storyline and their journey to becoming a real family was heart warming.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*


Excerpt

Two hours later, Christian sat at his desk studying for his politics midterm, all the while listening intently for the sound of footsteps outside his door he felt certain he would hear. He trained his attention on the heavy textbook in front of him, trying to ignore the growing anxiety he felt each time he picked up his cell phone to check if he’d missed any messages.
None came.

It was well after midnight when he crawled into bed, convinced she just needed some time to realize he was right. He had to be right. He wouldn’t allow himself to think otherwise, so every time that wave of guilt came, he pushed it aside.

He envisioned her awake, just as he was, tossing uncomfortably in her small bed that rested in the far corner of her studio apartment and slowly coming to terms with what she needed to do.
But when he dragged his unrested body from his bed the next morning, his phone was still devoid of messages.

He had been cruel—he knew it. He could only hope he hadn’t pushed her too far, but that she would somehow understand he was just trying to protect their future.

Christian ate a bowl of cold cereal and then forced himself into the steam of his shower, desperate to find anything to chase away his fatigue. He found his head in a cloud, both from lack of sleep and from the scenarios running through his mind, ones including a life without Elizabeth.

What if she never came back?
Could he really give her up?

As he rubbed the soapy washcloth over his body, he tried to picture an existence without her. A life void of the perfect pitch of her voice, the way it rang out when she laughed. A life in which he didn’t touch the softness of her skin or have the right to pull her body against his. A life without a child crying out from the next room as he tried unsuccessfully to study for the bar.

Groaning, he shook his head and forced it all away, telling himself it would not come to that.
He was certain when he saw her in class today, she would take her normal seat beside him in the lecture hall, lean in, and whisper in his ear that he was right.

But when her seat remained vacant, his unease grew, gnawing at his stomach. The moment the professor dismissed class, Christian raced from the room and to the café where Elizabeth and he studied every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. He frantically scanned the room, finding several mildly familiar faces but not the one he wanted to see.

By the time he reached her apartment complex, he was panting, both from exertion from the mile he had run and the constriction fear had placed on his heart. He pounded on the door, giving her no time to answer before he yelled, “Elizabeth!” There was no sound from the other side, no rustling of curtains or faint shuffling of feet. Even then, he wasn’t satisfied. Fumbling with his keys, he found his spare and pushed it into the lock.

The door opened to the quietness, the small studio comfortably cluttered as always. The only thing that seemed amiss was the blankets from her normally neat bed were strewn on the floor. Christian crossed the space to the only separate room. The door to the bathroom rested ajar, that room as empty as the first.
Christian pressed his back against the wall and took a deep breath. He wasn’t prepared for this. He’d never thought it would go this far.

Reluctantly, he forced himself out of the apartment, shutting and locking the door behind him before he left, hating the voice inside his head that kept telling him this was for the best.

Buy the book: Amazon


Author Bio

A.L. Jackson first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student.  She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life. 

Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three beautiful children. Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves. 

Connect with A.L. Jackson: Blog / Facebook / TwitterPublisher Website

donderdag 26 juli 2012

Kasey Mackenzie - Red Hot Fury


Title : Red Hot Fury
Series : Shades of Fury # 1
Release date :June 29, 2010
Publisher :Ace
Genre : Urban Fantasy

Hell hath nothing worse than a Fury scorned…

As a Fury, Marissa Holloway belongs to an Arcane race that has avenged wrongdoing since time immemorial. As Boston’s Chief Magical Investigator for the past five years, she’s doing what she was born to: solving supernatural crimes.

It’s far from business as usual when the body of one of Riss’s sister Furies washes up in Boston harbor. Riss discovers that the corpse’s identity has been magically altered, but as soon as she reports her findings, she’s immediately—and inexplicably—suspended from her job. Then a human assassin makes an attempt on her life, and Riss starts to realize that someone may be trying to stir up strife between mortals and Arcanes.

When a Fury gets mad, she gets even, and Riss is determined to untangle this case. Without the support of the mortal PD, Riss turns to the one man she can trust to watch her back—shapeshifting Warhound Scott Murphy. But since Scott is also Riss’s ex, she’ll have to keep a tight leash on more than just the supernatural rage that feeds her power as they try to solve a murder—and stop a war…


Red Hot Fury by Kasey Mackenzie is the first novel in her Shades of Fury Series and a great beginning of this series. I found myself being pulled to this book by its description and I have to say it didn’t disappoint me.

Marissa “Riss” Holloway is the Chief Magical Investigator for Boston police department and also an immortal fury. She is one of the peace keepers between the mortals and the paranormal beings. But the peace is on the line when her latest case becomes personal when she is called in for a dead body of a fellow fury. Riss discovers that it is not a fury but a shape-shifter from a long thought extinct race.

When she informs her captain of her findings she’s suddenly suspended which confirms her suspicions of the involvement of higher government agents. There is only one person she trusts no matter what, her ex-boyfriend Scott who is a shape-shifting Warhound Mercenary. But it won’t be easy to convince him to help her after the way she left him.

Riss is a strong, kick-ass woman; has an issue with trusting people and is struggling to keep her inner fury rage at bay. Scott is Riss’s ex-boyfriend and determined to keep her at arm length, but working with her again puts the flame back up in their growing relationship. As the two of them work together they slowly discovers some conspiracy and the betrayal of one of their own.

Kasey MacKenzie has written a great novel and a fabulous start into what turns out to be a promising series. I loved the world building, fabulous characters and a great storyline. This author is slowly finding her way to my favourite author list and I’m already planning to read the next instalment Green Eyed Evil.

Kelly Keaton - Darkness Becomes Her


Title: Darkness Becomes Her
Series: Gods & Monsters # 1
Release date: February 22, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Young Adult / Paranormal Romance

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very…different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.
Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton is the first novel in the Gods & Monsters Series and it was awesome. This is one of those series that will lure you in the story and won’t let you go until you are done with it and that is exactly what happened to me.

Ari knows she is different from an early age. She grew up in foster home after foster home when her birth mother left her behind. Luckily for Ari her latest foster parents were nice people and really care for her. They even teach her how to defend herself and how she can use a gun.

At the age of seventeen it’s time for Ari to find out exactly what happened to her biological mother and why she left her. Her search leads her to the ruins of New Orleans, now called Area 2, where all the paranormal beings and the outcasts live.

Even though Ari is seventeen, she is very mature for her age and you can sense that in the way she handles things in her life. She is a determined young woman who will do anything to find out the true about her heritage. In Area 2 she finds new friends who help her on this journey and they all have some paranormal backgrounds.

I loved the growing friendship between Ari and Sebastian and I cannot wait to see how this will grow into something more.

Kelly Keaton has written a fabulous novel. The way she created this new “New Orleans” mixed with great characters, a good storyline and an interesting look on the Greek Mythology.

I’m already a fan, so I highly recommend this novel to those who love to read about strong young heroines mixed with paranormal beings, because you won’t be disappointed.

zondag 22 juli 2012

Christina Henry - Black Wings


Title : Black Wings
Series : Black Wings # 1
Release date : November 30, 2010
Publisher : Ace
Genre : Urban Fantasy

She’s an Agent of Death who really needs to get a life.

As an Agent of Death, Madeline Black is responsible for escorting the souls of the dearly departed to the afterlife. It’s a 24/7 job with a lousy benefits package.


Maddy’s position may come with magical powers and an impressive wingspan, but it doesn’t pay the bills. And then there are her infuriating boss, tenant woes, and a cranky, popcorn-loving gargoyle to contend with.

Things start looking up, though, when tall, dark, and handsome Gabriel Angeloscuro agrees to rent the empty apartment in Maddy’s building. It’s probably just a coincidence that as soon as he moves in demons appears on the front lawn. But when an unholy monster is unleashed upon the streets of Chicago, Maddy discovers powers she never knew she possessed. Powers linked to a family legacy of tarnished halos.

Powers that place her directly between the light of Heaven and the fires of Hell...

Black Wings by Christina Henry is the first novel in her Black Wings Series and definitely one of the best debut novels I’ve read. Christina Henry created a terrific world and I found myself sucked into this book from the first page.

Madeline “Maddy” Black is an Agent of Death and has inherited this title from her deceased mother. These agents escort the newly dead to a door that will take them to the next life. Her boss is driving her crazy with his paperwork and rules, her best friend is a little gargoyle and she is desperately seeking a new tenant for the downstairs apartment.

So when Gabriel Angeloscuro shows up on her doorstep for the apartment, she thinks her life will be back in order. But fate has other plans when demons starting to show up and innocent people start dying without any records. It’s time for Maddy to learn more about her unknown father in order to solve these crimes.

Christina Henry has written an amazing novel with a feisty heroine, some scary bad-demons and a lovable gargoyle. Beezle is funny, overprotective and very direct. Gabriel is HOT, so I wasn’t surprise to feel the sexual tension between him and Maddy coming from the pages.

I cannot thank my best friend enough for directing me to this series, because it’s already one of my favorites of this year. I highly recommend this novel to any Urban Fantasy readers, you won’t be disappointed.

Jenna Black - Deadly Descendant


Title : Deadly Descendant
Series : Nikki Glass # 2
Release date : April 24th, 2012
Publisher : Pocket Books
Genre : Urban Fantasy

As a living descendant of Artemis the Huntress, private investigator Nikki Glass knows how to track someone down. But when an Oracle shows up, warning the descendants about wild dog attacks in Washington D.C., Nikki is afraid it might be a trap. The Olympians believe the “dogs” are jackals, controlled by a blood-crazed descendant of the Egyptian death-god Anubis. Whatever. . . . If Nikki hopes to muzzle Dogboy, she’s got to catch him in the act. But when she stakes out a local cemetery, she ends up face-to-snout with a snarling pack of shadow-jackals whose bite is worse than their bark. These hellhounds are deadly—even for an immortal like Nikki. “Dog” spelled backwards may be “god,” but that won’t stop Nikki from teaching these old gods some new tricks. Like playing dead.

Deadly Descendant by Jenna Black is the second novel in her …….series and I have to say this book is even better than the previous one. I liked the fact that it took right off where Dark Descendant left off, so you don’t miss a lot of the storyline. Just like the first novel in the series I found myself turning page after page and couldn’t put it down for long because I really had to know what happened next.

Nikki Glass is adjusting to the life as an immortal and is learning each day to get her power under control. Even though she isn’t to happy living in the Anderson mansion, she knows she has to in order to keep her adoption parents and sister save.

Now two enemies has to work together to catch a serial killer who’s killing innocent people and the killer appears to be a death god descendant, who’s able to control a pack of jackals to do the killing. This man is very lethal and has to be caught and the only person who can track him is a descendant of Artemis, so Nikki has a dangerous job to do.

But that is not all, Nikki is still a little terrified after finding out Anderson’s little secret and Anderson’s wife Emma don’t like her, even though Nikki is the one who found her.

Miss Jenna Black has written another fabulous novel in this series and I loved it. Nikki is a great character, who’s trying to stay strong and find her way in this new world. Team leader Anderson is a scary guy while his is protecting his secret, but his intensions are good. Jamaal had a tough life and has an attitude, he was really awful to Nikki in the first novel, but I really like that he is turning around and that their relationship is growing into something more.

It was good to see how all the descendant worked together as a team to get the job done. This series is great and I’m already looking forward to the next novel.
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