Review: The Magic Between Us - Tammy Falkner

Love triumphs over all differences…even those of wings and magic…

Marcus Thorne was groomed to be one of the Trusted Few in the land of the fae, but now he must step into his father's title in the British ton. 

Cecelia Hewitt, a half fae/half human, has always lived in the human world and is not accustomed to wings and magic. 

Completely unprepared for their new positions, Marcus and Cecelia strike up a partnership to teach each other about their respective worlds. In the process, they discover they have more in common than they ever expected—including a burning mutual attraction.

My thoughts:

The romance between these two were different in away. They did not struggle as much, but they still struggled some. The thing is that they were in love from page one, they had been since childhood but then...drama!

The book is a part of a series but you can still read it as a standalone. Marcus found out about his parents in the human world and his father want him to take over the title. So that is where we are. Marcus wants to show his parents he loves them so he leaves Faerie and Cecilia behind. Big mistake, why leave the love of your life!? Oh Marcus. No wonder Cecilia is pissed when she comes to England on a mission. The rest of the book he tries to win her back. There is also another plot which shows why Cecilia can't marry him and that was a more emotional plot.

I liked Marcus and Cecilia, they clearly belonged together. They just both had to find a way to be together as they lived in different worlds.

Conclusion:

Lots of passion promised.

Cover

She is all, I love you sweetie!

And he is all, omg, will I never get rid of her

Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages
Published January 7th 2014 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Faerie #3
Paranormal historical romance
for review

Review: One rogue too many - Samantha Grace

When two of the ton's most eligible bachelors fall for the same young woman, only one will win her heart...

Anthony Keaton, Earl of Ellis, and Baron Sebastian Thorne have been competing since childhood. Now, they both have their eyes set on Lady Gabrielle. 

Gabby feels like a fool for trusting in Anthony—but she doesn't know the whole truth. Determined to guard her heart this time around, she's looking for a man who is steadfast and eloquent. 

Sebastian knows this is his one chance to steal her heart. He has everything she's looking for. But when Anthony finally reveals his true feelings, how will she choose between the two?

My thoughts:

I was a bit torn when it came to this book, I liked it, until the middle part and there I just got really really mad. Honestly! This was one of the most stupid girls ever! You foolish, foolish girl (I even heart Knigthley in my head when I read the stupid part.) Instead of just asking she does something really idiotic which could destroy her life, cos she is an idiot. I know it's for the drama but I made me hate her. She made both Anthony (who loved her) miserable and she made her other suitor miserable in the end too. Use your head girl, that is why it's there. *mutters*

Anyway, up to that it was good. Gabby loved Anthony and had for years. But then he went away, he should just have told her everything, but I got why he did not. And she should have trusted him. Then in came Sebastian who courted her so his sister could come out in society again. Gabby is a Duke's daughter and good to have on your side. So we have 2 men angry at each other while both courting her, and she loves only Anthony.

Then came the arghhh part and I just got upset. Stupid people does that too me. But when it was over I moved on cos we still had some drama to go through and I felt better cos most were happy. And Sebastian who I did not like at first, well I hope he finds true love soon. He deserves it. Poor Sebastian.

Cover

They have heads, I am happy. Are the headless days over?

Mass Market, 352 pages
Published January 7th 2014 by "Sourcebooks Casablanca"
Rival Rogues #1
Historical romance
For review

DNFs

I do not post DNFs, but it's Sunday, I had thought about it and thought why not. They should be mentioned too. Sometimes I just delete them without even putting them on GR but I really should remember them. So these are from the last 6 months.

Two men. One is a prince of royal blood. The other is a half-breed, part human, part elf. But the part that is human is also royal.Two women. One is a princess, pampered and protected. The other lives in the forest, the leader of a band of rebels. She too has elven blood.

This is their story -- the tale of love and hate, courage and cowardliness, and magic both dark and light.

Why it was a DNF:

It could have worked, but it did not for me and I have to DNF it. I read up to page 80 or something and then skimmed the rest. I just could not bother with it.

The best part was the beginning and even that had me skimming. The evil guys were evil, and I do like when there are stupid religious people trying saying everyone else is wicked. But who cares. That was my problem who cares. I don't.

The formula was generic too, and sure I like the whole old school stuff. But I was never invested in anyone. Then when the young prince took over the story, again who cares, and why are you so stupid in the first place to go there? Honestly man.

So a fail.

Mass Market Paperback, 393 pages
Published February 1st 2000 by Ace Books
Sword, the Ring, and the Chalice #1, The Stories of Nether and Mandria #1

The Dominion, once divided by savage clan wars, has kept an uneasy peace within its border since that long-ago time when the clan Leonne was gifted with the magic of the Sun Sword and was raised up to reign over the five noble clans. But now treachery strikes at the very heart of the Dominion as two never meant to rule--one a highly skilled General, the other a master of the magical arts--seek to seize the crown by slaughtering all of clan Leonne blood.

Why it was a DNF:

*yawns* I have the worst of luck. This one, bleh from the start. I made it to page 50 and did not even bother to skim the rest cos it was too bloody long and boring to skim.

I was confused, wtf was the book even about?

Mass Market Paperback, 764 pages
Published July 1st 1997 by DAW Fantasy
Sun Sword #1

In this exciting debut, author Keri Arthur explodes onto the supernatural scene with a sexy, sensuous tale of intrigue and suspense set in a world where legends walk and the shady paths of the underworld are far more sinister than anyone envisioned.

Why it was a DNF:

I give up, I can't do UF on audio

Audio, Unabridged - Digital Download, 10 pages
Published January 31st 2006 by Random House Audio (first published January 1st 2006)
Jenson Guardian #1

Set in a modern-day London spiced with magicians and mystery, The Amulet of Samarkand is an extraordinary, edge-of-your-seat thriller with many unexpected twists. Following Bartimaeus and Nathaniel in turn, the story introduces us to two wonderfully memorable characters–destined to go through many adventures together and bound by a spell that is nearly impossible to break.

Why it was a DNF

The audio was boooooooooring. Stuff happened, whatever. Gave up

Published August 28th 2007 by Listening Library (Audio) (first published September 30th 2003)
Bartimaeus #1

In an alternate 1914 Europe, fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.

Why it was a DNF:

I am sure I could have done better than DNF but honestly, I do not have the time. I liked Alek's story, I did not care for Deryn. And as it was a library book it feels easier to actually give up.

Paperback, 434 pages
Published May 27th 2010 by Simon & Schuster Children's (first published January 1st 2009)
Leviathan #1

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

Why it was a DNF:

I was bored and honestly by page 60 I gave up. I am not gonna force myself to finish this series. Dunno when it fell apart

Format: Paperback Publication Date: 1/25/2011
Paperback, 358 pages
The Iron Queen (Iron Fey, #3)

Part murder mystery, part gothic fantasy, part steampunk adventure, The Peculiar is Stefan Bachmann's riveting, inventive, and unforgettable debut novel.

Why it was a DNF

And I gave up...again. This book was cool and had a lot of promise but as audio. No way. Too much jumping around and this and that. I would like to see if it works better in print

Hardcover, 384 pages
Published September 18th 2012 by Greenwillow Books (first published September 2012)
The Peculiar #1

Ten years ago, two children witnessed a murder that still haunts them as adults.

Why it was a DNF:

It was confusing, it was too much and I did not give a damn. The world was interesting though.

Paperback, 688 pages
Published April 3rd 2012 by Orbit (first published November 8th 2011)
The Tainted Realm #1

An epic tale of seduction, war, and unrequited love. Patricia Bracewell, an outstanding new voice in historical fiction, weaves together a story that spans countries and dynasties to extraordinary dramatic effect.

Why it was a DNF:

It actually started off interesting but then I saw it takes place during just a few short years. And it's a trilogy and they never even reach the part of her life that is the most interesting...that is when I decided to read it another time instead.

Hardcover, 432 pages
Published June 6th 2013 by HarperCollins (first published February 7th 2013)

Risa Jones is as extraordinary as her heritage. Born from a lab-enhanced clone mother and an Aedh father, she can not only talk to the souls of the dying and the dead, but she can see the reapers and walk the gray fields that divide this world from the next.

Why it was a DNF:

I have had trouble with audio books lately. I need something that I can listen to while working and this one did not work. I gave up half way through cos nothing had happened

Audio
Published March 1st 2012 by Recorded Books (first published September 27th 2011)
Dark Angels #1

Mishel Reviews: The Troop - Nick Cutter

Mishel Reviews

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date:  January 2014 (ebook)

Publisher: Gallery Books

Pages:  368

Book Site:   

My Rating: 3/5 

Source: NetGalley

Cover: I like it. I think it fits the story well and portrays the isolation of the island while looking ominous.

Lord of the Flies  meets  The Ruins  in this frightening novel written in the bestselling traditions of Stephen King and Scott Smith.  

Boy Scouts live by the motto “Be Prepared.” However, nothing can prepare this group of young boys and their scoutmaster for what they encounter on a small, deserted island, as they settle down for a weekend of campfires, merit badges, and survival lessons.

Everything changes when a haggard stranger in tattered clothing appears out of nowhere and collapses on the campers’ doorstep. Before the night is through, this stranger will end up infecting one of the troop’s own with a bioengineered horror that’s straight out of their worst nightmares. Now stranded on the island with no communication to the outside world, the troop learns to battle much more than the elements, as they are pitted against something nature never intended…and eventually each other.

“Lean and crisp and over-the-top....Disquieting, disturbing,” says Scott Smith, author of  The Ruins  and  A Simple Plan,  The Troop  is a visceral burn of a read that combines boldly drawn characters with a fantastically rendered narrative—a terrifying story you’ll never forget.

Review:

I’m just now starting to delve into NetGalley, after having signed up over two years ago without actually using it. I had The Troop on my TBR list and was pretty excited that my request was accepted. The rough copy of the book took some getting used to. But I understand that it’s an ARC copy so I eventually got over the weird formatting and lack of editing.  I briefly skimmed over other reviews and came away with a wide range of likes and dislikes people had while reading. I don’t like to do too much research on a book before reading because I like to go in with a “clean slate”. Anyhow, I had some prior knowledge on what to expect – gory details, animal abuse, something shocking/disturbing. What I got out of The Troop are exactly these things and more! However, I felt the execution and character depth were both lacking and I honestly had a tough time staying interested at times.

While the sense of honor and duty within the Boy Scouts can be found in some passages, I never really got a sense that this rag-tag group of kids and their Scoutmaster were ever truly connected. They had years of history together but I was quite shocked by how quickly things fell apart for all of them. The friendship and family-like bond was pretty much non-existent. I also had a hard time connecting to any of the cookie-cutter characters. Each boy had personalities that were very distinct and different but none of them truly stood out. Their personalities were a little too cliché and I found it hard to care much about them, or what happened to them.

But was I scared? Hell yeah! But I was more scared of the reality of the plot. Icky germs, parasitic worms and viruses, things that do nothing but eat, breed, and destroy, diseases that spread regardless of safety precautions all tend to freak me out. It’s always the unseen enemy that can do the worst and isn’t it always the unknown that scares us the most? The fact that the evil in this book isn’t a psychopathic serial killer, mutant monster, flesh-eating zombie, or creepy alien scares the crap out of me. Did the author actually scare me through his writing? Eh, not really. While I appreciated his overly very dramatic metaphors and detailed scenes I was never really engaged enough to be truly scared by the actual delivery. 

Nick Cutter is a pseudonym and I couldn’t figure out who he was until I read a review on Goodreads that stated he put his real name on the copyright page. Very cute. So now that I know about “Mr. Cutter’s” other work I’d very much like to try it out. Some readers won’t like the detail of some of the scenes or the animal abuse/experimentation in The Troop. And while I didn’t get a true sense of horror I still thought it was a good story. Would I read it again? Probably not, but I’m not sorry that I did read it. Although I did lose interest a time or two during my reading I still enjoyed the book overall. The way the story was told through the narrative and through an outside perspective was actually pretty cool. To make the bigger picture make more sense clues were dispersed in front of some chapters. These could be found in the form of interviews, news bulletins, diary entries, court evidence and documents, etc. These elements helped make sense of what the boys were going through on the isolated island. So I definitely say give this one a go, maybe by borrowing, to see if you’d like to give it a permanent home on your bookshelf.