Review: Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  I did however listen to the published version of the audiobook instead.  

The audio narration of this was wonderful!  I give the 4 narrators 5 stars in bringing the 4 perspectives to life in this wild fantasy.  I think in a book like this where there are so many characters and several perspectives in a book, having 4 distinct voices in your audiobook really helps the reader to distinguish which character you are listening.  The story relies on being told from each perspective so I think it was really important to get to hear each voice and I thought each of the narrators did a great job with their parts of the story.  I hope they are back for future installments!

This is a book for fantasy lovers.  If you aren't into complex fantasy, skip this.  This is also not for the faint of heart as there is quite a bit of violence both self inflicted and amongst the characters.   There is a lot going on and a lot to keep track of in this book.  There are several different mythologies and religious systems at play and they are fascinating.    This is told from the perspective of 4 characters each with their own roles to play in the story.  Instead of political unrest we have religious unrest as a a prophecy, solar eclipse, and winter solstice all intersect.  The magic system in this is really interesting as it is based in the mythology and seems to be individual.  Each of the players wants what is best for their people and struggles with doing the right thing given the situations they are put in.  This has everything you could want from an epic fantasy, an uprising, cool magic, prophecies, betrayal, interesting characters, and more.  Oh and did I mention some of the warriors can ride on giant crows?  

I really loved the world building and the character development that took place here.  Normally I don't like multi perspective books because it tends to take away from the characters, but because Xiala and Serapio spend their time together we get alot from the two of them.  I feel like Okoa was the least developed but he also got the least page time.  I feel like he will be a bigger player in the future as the series moves forward.  We also get quite a bit from Narumpa and how her progression through the ranks of the priesthood have put her where she is today.  We also get to see how her progressive views within her own religion may not exactly fit with her peers.  All four of them are interconnected in and Roanhorse does such a great job interweaving the characters.

I will say I wasn't a fan of the open ending.  It does set us up for there to be more in the series, but no one really enjoys a cliffhanger ending.  Several of the plotlines are left up in the air and the reader is left with lots of questions.  It only makes me want the next book more, but I do prefer my books to end with some sort of closure.

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Review: Kiss To Forget by Anna B. Doe

Kiss To Forget by Anna B. Doe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an emotional rollercoaster! This had me tearing up in several places, and I'm not usually one to cry when it comes to books. I would recommend having some tissues on standby, you know just in case you need them. This book is a standalone, but reading book 1 in the series will introduce you to the other characters. I don't think it is 100% necessary to read it to enjoy this as the stories do stand on their own.

If you have read Kiss To Forget, you will remember Nixon and Yasmin as friends of the main characters from book 1. Yasmin is Callie's roommate who is taking a ton of classes, working at the coffee shop, and volunteers at the local community center. She works really hard, rarely has time to sleep, and keeps her free time to a minimum. Like Callie, she has secrets but she isn't ready to confess them just yet. Nixon is the quarterback of the football team and best friends with Hayden. He is relatively happy go lucky, but something is up this semester and he isn't telling anyone his secrets.

Nixon is friendly to everyone and usually everyone likes him back, except Yasmin. She seems to hate football players but no one knows why. Their paths continually cross and Nixon accidentally finds out Yasmin's secret. While her secret at first doesn't seem like that big of a deal, there is more to the story. This is the first of several incidents that forms a bond between the two of them, because it is the first time Yasmin discovers that Nixon might actually have something in common with her and that not all football players are all bad. Nixon ends up on a rescue mission to pick up Yas when her car breaks down, when he has to take a detour on the away home. Yasmin finds herself learning more about Nixon than she expected and their bond grows even stronger. They both are able to let down the walls that they have built and find some much needed support when they are together. When tragedy strikes, their fragile relationship is threatened and they both have to make the choice between fight or flight if they want to be together in the end.

This was a wonderful story about resilience, friendship, love, grief, heartache, and so much more. I think I felt every emotion in the book while reading this. Both of the characters have so many things to deal with in this story. This had just the right amount of steam to balance out the angst. I really loved Yasmin and Nixon's story. I'm looking forward to reading more from the group at Blairwood in the future.

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Review: The Romantic Pact by Meghan Quinn

The Romantic Pact by Meghan Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was so cute!  I was provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a holiday romance, look no further.  This is a friends to lovers romance set around the holidays that is sure to put you in the spirit.  Beware though, it will also pull on those heart strings and may have you shedding a tear or two before the end.

This follows Crew Smith and Hazel Allen who have been best friends after spending numerous summers at Crew's grandfather's farm.  Crew has just finished out an abysmal football season and his head and life are a mess.  His grandfather aka Pops passed away this past summer and Crew is feeling a lot of guilt for spending time training for football instead of spending the last few summers with Pops.  He didn't even know Pops was sick until it was too late.  Now home for holiday break, he finds himself on a plane to Germany on a trip pre-planned by Pops.  Crew is pleasantly surprised when Hazel is his travel companion for the trip.  Pops practically raised Hazel and considered her family.  She helped him run his farm and she also took his passing hard.  She is excited to reconnect with her best friend, but she is also hurt by the way Crew treated her over the past few years.  Fortunately this trip, guided by Pops and his letters to them gives them a chance to reconnect, forgive, and maybe develop a new connection in their relationship.  It also gives Crew a chance to find closure and really think about what he wants to do with his life.

I absolutely loved going on this trip through Germany with Hazel and Crew.  I've always wanted to go to Germany, and right now it seems like I may never get there.  I loved all of the stops they took on their trip from.  If you ever have the chance to visit a German Christmas market, they are wonderful.  I can only imagine how wonderful they are in Germany.  At each stop they made their relationship takes another step from friendship to romantic, you just were never sure who was going to make the first move or when it was going to happen.  Each of the characters had to face some pretty difficult life decisions and I really loved Pops' letters to them giving them the wisdom they needed to face the hard choices they had to make.  I especially loved the part about expectation versus passion.  

I really enjoyed going on this trip with Crew and Hazel.  Not only did I get to visit Germany with them but much like Crew it made me think about my passions.  It also jump started my Christmas spirit which has been really lacking.  I highly recommend this!

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Review: Kiss To Conquer by Anna B. Doe

Kiss To Conquer by Anna B. Doe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was kindly provided an ARC of this book via the author in exchange for an honest review.

This is a hate to love romance with a little bit of a twist.  In this case, there is no misunderstanding or forbidden reason for the main characters to hate each other.  Our female lead Callie, has actually given our male lead Hayden every reason to hate her.  She did something to him in high school that any reasonable person would find hard to forgive.  Hayden and Callie went to high school together, she was the popular cheerleader from a rich family.  He was the poor, shy, scrawny boy on the football team that happened to be good at math.  Callie was dating the quarterback and pretty had a wonderful life, but she wasn't the best person.  Hayden was a nice guy, had a huge crush on Callie, but didn't have the best home life.  I won't spoil things, but several events take place that upset both of their lives completely.

Fast forward a few years and Hayden has found himself at Blairwood, he's successful on the football field, no longer that scrawny, shy kid of old.  He has a good supportive group of friends around him, but when Callie shows up their roles are reversed.  Callie is basically a hermit only attending classes and hiding in her room or the campus coffee spot.  She is physically and mentally scarred from events in her past, and it takes a good portion of the book to find out what actually happened to her and what happened between her and Hayden.   Hayden spends roughly the first half of the book avoiding her or being harsh with her.  He is angry that his best friend is friendly with her and wants everyone to stay away from her.  Unfortunately their paths keep crossing and he is still attracted to her.  When he finds out what happened to her and realizes that those events have changed her from the girl he knew in high school, he starts to let her in.  

I enjoyed this, but I did feel like it was a bit too long and the pacing was off.   The first half of the book felt like it dragged while the second half felt like everything was happening too fast.  The author did a great job with getting the reader to feel the emotion of the situations.  I went through several different emotional states throughout the book.  I love it when an author can get me to feel what the characters are going through and I'm looking forward to more of that from Anna's work.  There are also some great side characters in this book and I'm hoping they will star in their own books in the series.  Overall, if you like enemies to lovers, and second change romance this is a good one to check out.

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Excerpt Reveal: The Relationship Pact Excerpt Reveal

 

  THE RELATIONSHIP PACT by Adriana Locke Release Date: December 17th   

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  Excerpt: 

I reach for the chair in front of me. Instead of finding leather, my fingers brush against something else. Something warmer. Something smoother and rougher all at the same time. My heart jumps in my chest at the same moment that my head snaps to the side. Oh. Shit. The most beautiful set of hazel eyes I’ve ever seen traps my gaze. The warmth of the chocolate brown is cooled by the spring green embedded in the orbs. Gold flecks twinkle as the man slowly withdraws his palm away from mine. I open my mouth, but I’ve somehow forgotten how to speak. “Hey,” he says, his southern drawl rippling across my ears. “You can have it.” I shake my head to try to jolt myself out of the haze I’m in. “I … I can have what?” His full, pouty lips split into a sexy smirk. “I meant the chair, but if there’s something else on your mind, just let me know.” My heart flutters in my chest as a wave of heat courses through my body from head to toe. A couple of days’ scruff peppers a sharp, chiseled jaw. His skin is sun-kissed and imperfect and there’s the slightest mole beneath his left eye that gives a bit of softness to his appearance. His body is long, well over six feet, with broad shoulders and a thick chest. It’s one heck of a picture. Slowly, oh-so-slowly, the fog in my brain lifts. “Can I buy you a drink?” he asks. A crazy idea pops into my brain. The longer that I watch the stranger peer at me from under his thick lashes, the more it seems possible. Crazy, yes, but possible. “Want to do me a favor instead?” I ask before I can talk myself out of it. My chest rises and falls in quick succession as he, and I, ponder my question. He narrows his eyes as he undoubtedly considers why a woman he just met might need his help. His heavy brows tug together. “That depends on what it is.” Blood pours through my ears as I realize I’m teetering on the edge of something impetuous. Again. I’m about to do the one thing I told myself I wouldn’t do. Wasn’t I going to put the brakes on this kind of thing? Didn’t I swear that I was not going to tangle myself up with men? Wasn’t I going to save myself time and energy until good men come back into the universe? I look up and down his long, muscled body. I bet he’s a damn good man. “Are you going to ask or not?” he asks, killing me softly with a playful quirk of his brow. Screw it. I take a quick lungful of air and commit to this insanity. “I’m going to need an answer to two questions.” “Shoot.” “Quickly.” He grins. “I can’t answer them if you don’t ask them, beautiful.” I steady myself against the term of endearment and stay focused. “Do you have a girlfriend?” I ask. His eyes sparkle with mischief. “I like where this is going.” “That’s not an answer and we’re running out of time.” “No,” he says hurriedly. “Hard no. Definitely not. No girlfriend.” “Second question …” I take another deep breath and then go in for the kill. “Will you be my fake boyfriend for five minutes?” His grin knocks the breath I’m holding right out of me. “When do we start?”   For Hollis and Larissa, starting is the easy part. It’s ending their fake relationship that’s hard. Fall in love with them here: https://geni.us/Hq6TNb  

      

  Blurb: How hard can it be? That was the question rolling around Larissa Mason’s mind just before she asked Hollis Hudson to be her fake boyfriend. It was only supposed to be for five minutes, after all. Granted, that was also before she felt his hand on the small of her back as he charmed the heck out of her family. She hadn’t heard his laugh yet either. And it was definitely before she saw the football god shirtless. Otherwise, she would’ve had an idea of just how hard some things could be. It turns out that pretending to be in love with a crazily handsome, somewhat enigmatic, and absolutely unforgettable tight end (that has an amazing tight end) is easy. Reminding herself that just because opposites attract doesn’t mean they’re forever is much harder. What they have isn’t love—it’s a relationship pact. Right?

    

  About the Author: USA Today and Washington Post bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own. She resides in the Midwest with her husband, sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather's nice and there's always a piece of candy in her pocket.

 

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BLOG TOUR: The Romantic Pact by Meghan Quinn

  

 THE ROMANTIC PACT by Meghan Quinn Release Date: December 10th  

    

  AVAILABLE NOW!! FREE in Kindle Unlimited! 

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https://amzn.to/33qoDxk  

    

  Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54451134-the-romantic-pact 

  

    

  Blurb: I haven't seen her in three years. I haven't talked to her since the kiss. So why am I on a plane, flying across the world to spend a week with her in Germany? One word: Pops. My life’s a mess. My possible football career is hanging on by a thread. I'm driving the roads of Germany in honor of Pops with the one girl I can never have. And I’m sharing a bed with her, the girl I've measured everyone else up to, while desperately trying to not to touch her. We made a pact growing up, never to get romantic with each other - never fall in love. And I'm about to break that pact. For good.  

      

  About Meghan Quinn: USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.

 

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Release Blitz: Floored by Karla Sorensen

Title: Floored

Author: Karla Sorensen

Genre: Sports Romance

Release Date: December 9, 2020

Cover Design: Najla Qamber Designs

To read what I thought about Floored check out my review post here.

If you've ever had a steamy one-night stand with a British football player and then find yourself pregnant with his baby, you know how Lia Ward feels.

To be fair, Lia didn't know who Jude McAllister was when they met.

Studying abroad for her master's program, all she knows is that she's a little lonely and he's very charming, even as they have an epically sexy argument about which type of football is superior.

In Jude's mind, shagging the feisty American girl is exactly what he needs. He’s been fighting the clock of his long-standing football career and the younger players primed to take his position. Proving that he can feel like his old self again—something he's been trying to do with everyone in his life—should be easier after blowing off steam with Lia.

But oh baby, when a plus sign pops up on Lia's pregnancy test, that 'one night' becomes a whole lot more.

Now Lia and Jude have to navigate their impossible-to-ignore chemistry, and prepare for the parenting game, something neither of them know how to play.

"All the English countryside stars for this awesomeness. It’s getting one of my rare 6 stars... I’ve read over 400 books this year and have only given 8 x 6 stars so that tells you just how much I loved this book!!" - Claypot Reads

"Karla Sorensen nailed the angsty and steamy feels once again in Floored. This unique sports romance was full of intense emotions and all consuming romance goodness. She never fails to bring out the best and the worst in me with her brilliant writing." (PP’s Bookshelf)

“Karla Sorensen delivers on all the things I love the best: the chemistry, the banter, the sweet steady burn that holds my heart in thrall and keeps my greedy little reader heart hungry for more. Floored delivered on all those things and more!” (Jennifer, Goodreads Review)

Well, let’s see ... I’m a wife and a mother. If the things that I write bring a smile to someone's face, then I've done my job. I am obsessed with Outlander (both the books and the show). I’m almost exclusively a romance reader, which means some people will never consider me a literary snob. If I could meet one historical figure, it would be Jane Austen. I received my Bachelors in Public Relations and worked in health care marketing before I had my babies. I hate Twitter. I do it, but I hate it. Also, if you want to get on my good side, bring me wine and I'll love you forever.

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