Frost Fire by Kailin Gow

Frost Fire

Author: Kailin Gow

Published by: Sparklesoup

Reviewed by: Andrea
Frost Fire is the sixth book in Kailin Gow's extremely addictive Frost series. The story here picks up immediately after the end of Midnight Frost, whereby the war between Summer and Winter Fey is over, and the Fey are united under Breena and Kian. The only problem with the happily ever after scenario is that the twin suns of Feyland have gone dark. And Feyland is slowly dying.

A group of determined individuals sets out with the blessing of the palace to restore the suns of Feyland, and for most, to use the quest to fulfil other needs they have not yet met. Logan, Shasta, Rodney, Rose and Alistair set out on a long and dangerous journey that tests not only their will to put right what is wrong, but whether they can conquer their own fears and inadequacies in time to save Feyland and themselves.

I must have been one of a very few people that was disappointed with the predecessor of this book, Midnight Frost. I was hoping that this story would put back some of the sparkle and high adventure I had been longing for in Midnight Frost, but never really felt the book delivered.

Frost Fire is definitely a return to the adventure and comeraderie I had so enjoyed in the other books of the Frost Series! The slow decay of Feyland teamed with the desperation of both the King and Queen of United feyland, and the band of knights who set off to save it made a powerful base from which to begin, and reeled me straight back into the ongoing story.

The adventure plot of the book also worked well, and the trek across a vastly different and sorrowful Feyland was suspenseful and had a very different feel to the other books in the series.

For me, the only (and very small) gripes I had was that firstly; another love triangle is set up almost immediately, and this felt a little forced. It may have been better to allow the characters a little time to grow together first before plunging right in.

Secondly, there were a few editing and grammar mistakes that could have been caught by a more thorough edit before release.

But these were very minor, and overall the book was one of the strongest in the series so far. Can't wait to read Spring Frost!

4.5/5

Hawthorne by Sarah Ballance

Hawthorne

Author: Sarah Ballance
Published By: Astraea Press
Reviewed by: Andrea
Hawthorne details the story of Emma Hawthorne, returning to Hawthorne, the historical family home following an horrific accident, and a long absence. Emma is returning ten years later to sort out the inheritance following the death of her beloved grandmother.
But still at the manor, and holding a few surprises of his own, is Noah Garrett, the caretaker's son who still does the lion's share of the work around the sprawling estate.
Emma and Noah have a history, one that came to an abrupt end with Emma's accident and departure from Hawthorne. Over the course of the day, can Emma and Noah rebuild the relationship they once had, while solving the dilemma of the inheritance, and the presence of otherworldly spirits at Hawthorne or are they finished for good?
Hawthorne was a haunting love story, told with some lavish and beautiful description, that placed me deep in the story with Emma and Noah almost immediately. The southern setting came alive for me, and the story of Noah, and Emma, and the way the past affected their reunion was bittersweet and seemed very real.
There are some paranormal elements to the story that are unfolded with balance and skill so as not to ovwehelm the relationship between Noah and Sarah, and the combination of these elements made it a story I couldn't put down.
I can't talk much about the plot without giving it all away, so I'll keep it spoiler free other than mentioning that there is a surprise twist at the end. The story kept me captivated and guessing where it would go all along, and I loved each second of it.
My biggest complaint is that it is a short story, and with so much detail and backstory, I would have loved to have seen it explored more in a slightly longer format. A beautiful story though, and I would definitely love to read more from Sarah Ballance in the future.
Copy provided for review.
4.5/5

Captivated, An Affliction Novel: Wiinners

I am proud to say that Cecila and Terri_Dion  have both won an ecopy of Captivated, An Affliction Novel.

On a sadder note, only 3 ppl entered. If I cann't get people viewing reviews both on the blog and on the facebook page I will consider closing both poages down.

Please help us keep these alive by sharing and reading and leaving comments. Feedback will be appreciated :)

Tracey & Andrea

Andrea's Review of The Long Moon by Stephy Smith

The Long Moon

Author: Stephy Smith

Published by Astraea Press

When Carson Long hears what his friend and mentor has done, he knows he's in trouble.  Forced to share a ranch, partly now his own with River Moon wouldn't have been his first choice in the future he had mapped out for himself.  But when circumstances dictate that he and River need to work together to save the farm and themselves, old tensions, and the loves and hurts of a long ago romance boil quickly to the surface.  Can they ever forgive each other and move forwards?  And can they do it in time to save what they hold dear?

The Long Moon began with promise.  The character of Moon, in particular shines with authenticity, wit and sparkle, and he was easily my favourite character to read about.  The Long Moon combines a fast moving, dangerous plot to rid the central characters of their land and livelihoods, with the struggle of both River and Carson to regain the romance they thought was lost for good.

The plotline of the story was fast paced, and during the action and investigation sections of the book; kept me interested and enertained.  There were other moments in the book, such as the story of where River got her name that were thoroughly enjoyable and brought a smile to my face. 

Sadly though, I found the romance between River and Carson to be quite forced - I never really felt any great chemistry between them, and therefore I didn't get swept away by the quite significant romantic element in the book.  There's a lot of excess description in the book, and the author may do better in showing more and telling less.  There were also some editing/spelling/grammar issues that would have benefited greatly from a more intensive editing process.

There is some promise in the characters though, and with a little more polish,  I think it would have been a more enjoyable read.

3\5

Copy provided for review.

Andrea's Review of Reclaimed by Kim Faulks

Reclaimed

Author: Kim Faulks

Reviewed by: Andrea

Natalie was reluctant to take the job of guarding the mysterious and irritating Mr Ash.  She'd had a gutful of her sorry heap of an ex boyfriend, and wanted to make some changes in her life.  But the pay was phenomenal, and the assignment was short.  How bad could it be?  Natalie embarks on a journey of discovery where nobody, including herself is who she thinks they are. 

Reclaimed surprised me in many ways.  the central character, Natalie was believable and likeable, and I enjoyed makinng this journey with her.  Mr Ash, while mysterious, chauvinistic and emminently unlikeable commanded my attention for the first portion of the book, and I was very curious to see where the story went.

From halfway through the book, I feel obliged to give fair warning that it's an erotic suspense, and some of the scenes are quite graphic.  The party scenes built to a suspenseful peak in the book, and held my interest well.

For me the only real disappointment in the book was Malik.  I really, really wanted to like him, but in a shorter length novella like this one, there was little time to really get to know each character's motivations, and story, and in this case, it meant that I didn't really bond with the character, or what happened in the story after he arrived in it.

Still, there was enough in the story to keep me entertained and wanting a second instalment to see where they could possibly go from here.

3.5/5

Copy provided for review.

Awaken Me – Emily Gossett

After witnessing her fiancée murder her best friend two days before her wedding, Aimee decides to immediately flee from the life she only knows. Lost in a foreign city, Aimee comes in contact with a mysteriously handsome Italian stranger, who seems to know more about Aimee, than Aimee knows about herself. Quickly discovering that the last six years of her life have been a ...moreAfter witnessing her fiancée murder her best friend two days before her wedding, Aimee decides to immediately flee from the life she only knows. Lost in a foreign city, Aimee comes in contact with a mysteriously handsome Italian stranger, who seems to know more about Aimee, than Aimee knows about herself. Quickly discovering that the last six years of her life have been a cover up to who she really is and where she came from. Aimee’s world, before her eyes , becomes a tsunami of conflicted emotions, undecidedly Torn between two men whom she loves deeply. Aimee ultimately finds her true identity, which is more lethal than either men, being the weapon the Rogues desire most. Aimee is anything but human.

One of the best vampire/werewolf books I have read to date!!!

It really is a story of love and finding who you really are. Aimee is a great character as she has so much conflict happening in her life. She leaves her murderous finance Derek, only to be found by Alec, who she has no memory of. She has lived six years with Derek believing everything about him. She knew nothing of her past life as her memory was wiped away.

When she is found by Alec a whole new world opens up to her, one that is very confusing and conflicting for her. She starts remembering the past, she remembers who Alec is and what she feels for him.

Her emotions become in conflict over both Derek and Alec. Aimee’s feelings for Alec resurface with her memories and her feelings for Derek won’t go away.

Awaken Me toughed me in so many ways. It made me think about love and what it really is. Even though Aimee loved Derek, her love for Alec was something stronger. There was a strong connection between Alec and Aimee as every time they touched, a current of electricity flowed between them.

I really loved how Aimee’s powers emerge just when they are needed. Being hybrid, makes life for Aimee, different from everyone else, because she is one a kind. Aimee has strong mindset and a very strong personality. I’d really hate to get on the wrong side of her!!

5/5

Ebook GIVEAWAY: Captivated an Affliction Novel

Ok guys,

I have 2 ebook copies of Captivated: An Affliction Novel to giveaway.

All you have to do is tell us in 25 words or less what would you do if you were a vampire slayer and had to distance yourself from everyone you ever cared about.

Post you answer along with you email addy under this.

The giveaweay will end Friday Night 10-2-12 at 9pm AEST. Winners will be announced Monday after 12pm AEST.