Romance

Born of Night (The League #1) By: Sherrilyn Kenyon

born-of-night1

Born of Night (The League #1) By: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Plot:

In the Ichidian Universe, The League and their ruthless assassins rule all. Expertly trained and highly valued, the League Assassins are the backbone of the government. But not even the League is immune to corruption . . .

Command Assassin Nykyrian Quikiades once turned his back on the League—and has been hunted by them ever since. Though many have tried, none can kill him or stop him from completing his current mission: to protect Kiara Zamir, a woman whose father’s political alliance has made her a target.

As her world becomes even deadlier, Kiara must entrust her life to the same kind of beast who once killed her mother and left her for dead. Old enemies and new threaten them both and the only way they can survive is to overcome their suspicions and learn to trust in the very ones who threaten them the most: each other.

Review:

This was the first Sci-Fi Romance I ever read. That was years ago and I’ve read a few since then so I decided to go back to it and see if I still liked it.

Unlike a lot of the Sci-Fi Romance I’ve been reading there’s a lot more world building and character development. It’s not just fall into lust, bang, fall into love, overcome some meaningless obstacle. There’s a lot going on in this book and series.

I did notice this time around several plot holes and things that just didn’t make sense. She starts the book with an introduction saying that at one point the book was something different and that she went back and added stuff when she got the rights back so maybe that caused the issues. Not sure.

Overall I still really enjoyed the book, it’s fairly violent and crude for a romance but sometimes that’s what you need.

4/5

Bay of Sighs (The Guardians Trilogy #2) By: Nora Roberts

bay-of-sighs

Bay of Sighs (The Guardians Trilogy #2) By: Nora Roberts

Plot:

To celebrate the rise of their new queen, three goddesses of the moon created three stars, one of fire, one of ice, one of water. But then they fell from the sky, putting the fate of all worlds in danger. And now three women and three men join forces to pick up the pieces…   Mermaid Annika is from the sea, and it is there she must return after her quest to find the stars. New to this world, her purity and beauty are nothing less than breathtaking, along with her graceful athleticism, as her five new friends discovered when they retrieved the fire star.   Now, through space and time, traveler Sawyer King has brought the guardians to the island of Capri, where the water star is hidden. And as he watches Annika in her element, he finds himself drawn to her joyful spirit. But Sawyer knows that if he allows her into his heart, no compass could ever guide him back to solid ground…   And in the darkness, their enemy broods. She lost one star to the guardians, but there is still time for blood to be spilled—the mermaid’s in the water and the traveler’s on the land. For she has forged a dangerous new weapon. Something deadly and unpredictable. Something human.

Review:

I’m still really enjoying this series and the world that’s being created, though I didn’t like this book quiet as much as the last.

Annika is a mermaid so English is not her first language and while most of her confusion and screw ups seemed normal a lot of the time she came off as kind of simple. Even when the story was from her point of view she seemed that way. She was supposed to represent light and innocence I guess, but then also really want to jump Sawyers bones, it was an odd contrast.

Sawyer was fine, more prudish than the others it seemed, which I guess Roberts thought paired well with innocence, but I’m not so sure. He was fine, his powers are the coolest. Overall they are probably going to be my least favorite couple.

There were also a few sudden changes of point of view that weren’t signaled very well and a couple times I had to re-read sections to figure out who the hell was talking. That didn’t happen frequently, only a couple times, but it really shouldn’t be happening in a Nora Roberts book at all.

Looking forward to the third and final book in the series that comes out in December.

3.75/5

Ever After (Nantucket Brides #3) By: Jude Deveraux

ever-after

Ever After (Nantucket Brides #3) By: Jude Deveraux

Plot:

Jude Deveraux’s eagerly awaited third novel in her blockbuster Nantucket Brides trilogy continues the spellbinding saga of the Montgomery-Taggerts, set on an island steeped in beauty and unforgettable romance.

Life is anything but perfect for Hallie Hartley, a young physical therapist who has given up nearly everything—even her love life—for her beautiful blonde stepsister, Shelly. Though Shelly’s acting career has never taken off, she has certainly perfected the crocodile tears to get what she wants—which all too often means Hallie’s boyfriends. When Hallie arrives home early from work one fateful day, she makes two startling discoveries that will turn her life upside down: Not only has a mysterious relative left Hallie a house on Nantucket, but Shelly has been trying to steal it. Desperate to put her troubles behind her, Hallie impulsively flies to Nantucket.

New trouble, however, has already settled into Hallie’s guest room in the form of her newest client. Hallie is told that wealthy, young James Taggert has injured his leg in a skiing accident. Assuming that the devastatingly handsome man has led a charmed life, Hallie is surprised by Jamie at every turn throughout his recovery. His attentions draw her out of her shell—but he has a dark secret, and is tormented by nightmares that only her presence can keep at bay. She suspects there’s more to his injury than he’s letting on.

On this gorgeous island rich in history, magic is everywhere, even in Hallie’s own backyard. As Jamie’s relatives arrive for a wedding gala, something wonderfully unusual is in the air. There’s an aura of romance—enhanced by a pair of matchmaking ghosts and a colorful island legend. In their own little corner of the world, Jamie and Hallie unravel the timeless secrets of their own hearts, and a very special story of True Love destined to last forever after.

Review:

So sweet and romantic, I really enjoyed this book. It’s been a while since I’ve read the previous two in the series, but that didn’t leave me lost or confused.

I was very weepy while reading this so I ended up crying a lot, it wasn’t overly sad, but there was a soldier with PTSD as a main character.

Loved how strong Hallie was, though when you hear about her past it’s kind of odd that she’s able to stand up to everyone all of a sudden. Maybe it’s just because she couldn’t stand up to her family but other people were okay? Either way, it didn’t bother me while reading it wasn’t until afterwards that I started to think about it. Still really liked her.

Also, I’m definitely team Taggart, I love books about the Taggart’s and Montgomery’s and I hope she give us more. There are so many of the family unpaired.

5/5

The Assassin’s Salvation (The Mandrake Company #3) By: Ruby Lionsdrake

The Assassin's Salvation

The Assassin’s Salvation (The Mandrake Company #3) By: Ruby Lionsdrake

Plot:

When Jamie Flipkens signed on as a pilot and engineer for a small medical research company, she never expected to end up on a mercenary ship full of hulking soldiers who want to make her their latest conquest. The captain has been good to her–it doesn’t hurt that he’s her boss’s new beau–but she’s on the verge of quitting when a strange man shows up at her shuttle door.

Sergei Zharkov claims to be an old friend of the captain’s. He neglects to mention that he’s also an assassin, a dangerous man who even the hardened mercenaries avoid. Jamie should avoid him, too, but she’s drawn to the charm that sometimes escapes from beneath his grim facade. She finds herself wanting to give him a reason to smile–and maybe a little more than that.

The problem? There’s a fresh bounty on the captain’s head, and it’s possible Sergei is there to collect it.

Review:

I had a really hard time getting into this book. I liked Sergei, but I kind of wanted Jamie to end up with Striker. I wanted her to wake up and realize he was quirky or something. Instead she never liked him and he could be a bit over enthusiastic with his lewdness. Oh well, I like him.

Anyway, I never warmed up to Jamie. She was very timid, which is fine, but she ended up attending an orgy and being a voyeur, it was kind of weird. I never warmed up to her.

Overall, I still like the series, but I wasn’t a fan of this book.

3/5

Because of Miss Bridgerton (Rokesbys #1) By: Julia Quinn

Because of Miss Bridgerton

Because of Miss Bridgerton (Rokesbys #1) By: Julia Quinn

Plot:

Sometimes you find love in the most unexpected of places…

This is not one of those times.

Everyone expects Billie Bridgerton to marry one of the Rokesby brothers. The two families have been neighbors for centuries, and as a child the tomboyish Billie ran wild with Edward and Andrew. Either one would make a perfect husband… someday.

Sometimes you fall in love with exactly the person you think you should…

Or not.

There is only one Rokesby Billie absolutely cannot tolerate, and that is George. He may be the eldest and heir to the earldom, but he’s arrogant, annoying, and she’s absolutely certain he detests her. Which is perfectly convenient, as she can’t stand the sight of him, either.

But sometimes fate has a wicked sense of humor…

Because when Billie and George are quite literally thrown together, a whole new sort of sparks begins to fly. And when these lifelong adversaries finally kiss, they just might discover that the one person they can’t abide is the one person they can’t live without…

Review:

Love me some Julia Quinn and when my nana was done reading this she let me borrow it. I have to say at first I thought the book was pretty depressing. This series is going to be set during the American Revolutionary War but it’s still from the side of the British, so I found it a bit hard to root for the people at first. Especially since two of the brothers are fighting in the war. There was also all the emotional stuff the oldest brother was going through.

Eventually, though, things got happier and George was able to accept himself for who he was, Billie helped him but he didn’t require her to be happy. I like that. I don’t want love to be the only reason someone is happy or content with themselves. Putting that much pressure on someone else isn’t good, it’s fine if someone else guides you to your realization but you shouldn’t depend on them for it.

Anyway, love Julia Quinn, excited for more in the series.

5/5