BOOK REVIEW: THE WEDDING FROM HELL PART 2 by JR WARD - THE RECEPTION - NOVELLA PREQUEL TO CONSUMED - PIATKUS - CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

By: JR WARD

Published By: Piatkus

Released: Available Now

Details: FREE Prequel on Amazon

RATING: 5 STARS

Blurb: Goodreads

The Wedding from Hell, Part 2: The Rehearsal Dinner is the exciting second adventure in J.R. Ward’s three-part ebook serialization: The Wedding From Hell. This exclusive prequel to her upcoming standalone suspense, Consumed (available in October 2018) takes us to where it all started between arson investigator Anne Ashburn and ‘bad boy’ firefighter Danny Maguire. The Wedding From Hell is a sexy standalone novella that sets up Consumed's storyline, leaving fans hungry for more and dying to snatch it up.

The Wedding From Hell, Part 2: The Reception: As the wedding from hell continues, Anne and Danny find themselves walking the delicate balance between professional distance and explosive attraction. Will the desire they feel last through the night and change their lives? Or are they doomed to part after one night of passion?



BOOK REVIEW:

I have to say, my motor is purring in anticipation for Consumed, Firefighters # 1 with these two delicious novellas under my belt.

Danny and Anne are gonna be explosive. Yeah… another pun totally intended.

Not much I can really say other than I highly recommend reading part 1 and 2 in these super short FREE novellas, which will leave you clicking the next page button looking for more… but there isn’t any.

J.R. Ward’s voice is shining through with her descriptions of the crew of the 499 firehouse. I love her Black Dagger Brotherhood series with a passion. I have dabbled in her Bourbon Kings and Fallen Angels series’, but not completed them or even felt the passion I do for BDB.

I can see already I am gonna have a lot of passion for the Firefighters series.

I want Consumed now. I am already consumed by this new series and it hasn’t even started.

October 2018 isn’t that far away… yeah, it kinda is.

BOOK REVIEW: THE WEDDING FROM HELL PART 1 by JR WARD - THE REHEARSAL DINNER - CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE - PIATKUS

By: JR WARD

Published By: Piatkus

Released: FREE and Available Now on Amazon

Details: FREE, Kindle Purchase, 48 Pages

RATING: 5 STARS

Blurb: Goodreads

A brand new ebook-only story from bestselling author J. R. Ward

Are you ready for The Wedding From Hell?

Dear Reader,

It's a classic recipe for disaster: Take one bridesmaid who thinks pink is the root of all evil. Mix with a best man who's hotter than a four-alarm fire. Add in their explosive sexual attraction, a nightmare bridezilla, two catfights, and an emergency call, and you have the wedding from hell! Come to get to know Anne and Danny, the hero and heroine of Consumed, and see their relationship go from friends with innuendo to holy-&*#-did-that-just-happen?! Is this the start of something good for them? Or just an erotic one-night stand that rocks them both but is never to be repeated? Only their hearts know the answer to that, much as their minds might disagree.

Happy Reading,
J.R. Ward


BOOK REVIEW:

This is a deliciously short FREE novella of only about 48 pages which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Anne Ashburn and Danny Maguire are firefighters and have the hots for each other—pun intended—but Anne can’t afford to let her guard down.

Anne works hard to be accepted and to be one of the guys. She has a lot at stake because she still has boobs and not a dick, no matter which way you look at it, she’s all female.

And guys will still be guys.

Robert “Moose” Miller is getting married to a bridezilla, who Danny knows all too well.

Let the bridezilla antics begin.

Let the sexual tension ooze over the pages.

BLOOD VOW by J.R. WARD - BLACK DAGGER LEGACY # 2 - PIATKUS - ADULT PARANORMAL ROMANCE

By: J.R. Ward

Published By: Piatkus, Hachette

Released : Available Now

Details: Paperback from publisher for honest review, 459 Pages ( Thank You! ) 

RATING: 5 AXE, RHAGE...nawww LASSITER STARS!

A tough vampire warrior in training and a quick-witted aristocrat develop an irresistible attraction and work together to uncover a mystery. The second in a new spin-off paranormal romance series set in the world of the #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood.

Trainees at the Black Dagger Brotherhood' training centre continue to prepare for the fight against the Lessening Society, but fighting is the last thing on Axe's mind. Still plagued with the guilt of his father's death, the brooding loner finds himself battling an unlikely attraction to Peyton's bright, aristocratic cousin, Elise.

Elise feels it too - and when the two are thrown together in unusual circumstances Elise must decide whether she can trust Axe to help her uncover the mystery surrounding her sister's death.

Meanwhile, Mary and Rhage are in the process of adopting Bitty, a young pretrans orphan, until the appearance of a young male claiming to be Bitty's blooded uncle threatens to tear the new family apart.

BOOK REVIEW :

I literally get giddy when I receive a BDB book from the publisher and I have the oh-so-hard task of squirreling myself away to read it.

I worship every word J.R. Ward writes about these Vampire men, these sexy ass lovers who give all for their shellan.

This is the spinoff series, but at the same time I felt oh so comfortable like I was still in the original BDB series.

These books are thick and I virtually start having BDB-withdrawal when I get closer to the end, because I want them to keep going.

That’s how much I love the BDB world.

Rhage and Mary and Bitty share part of this book along with Elise and Axe and the trainees. 

I do love these new characters sliding into the BDB world. Peyton and Novo are becoming more and more faves of mine.

Axe is rawrrrr and I was purring reading his character...he almost appears like he is ready to step into those big shitkickers.

V and the other lads make appearances which is always humma humma and no less as BABU’s.

If we could all be so lucky.

And then there is Lassiter.

Oh…my…God…is he the funny bone in the latter part of The Warden’s BDB series of books. He really is one of the funniest sub characters brought into a long standing series.

He is THE BEST!

I really do want more of him in each book  from now on.

You are gonna so adore him when he pops in and out of this book. He really will tickle your funny bone.

Sometimes I think the BDB lads can be a little hard on the guy.



Vishious put both hands up to his face and rubbed hard. Like in his mnd, he was throwing a beat-down in the angel’s direction, but he knew he couldn’t draw blood in front of the girl -- and the self-control required was killing him.

“You can stay home,” V muttered. “You really can totally f-in’ stay the f home, you f’ed-up mother-f’ing f-twit.”

Lassiter clasped his breastplate, and swooned like Julie Andrews. “Don’t you love it when he can’t swear? Warms the cockles—it’s like watching a drunk on roller skates try to play dodgeball in the dark—"


I do love the banter between the BDB lads and Lassiter, but sometimes I wonder at why they can appear to dislike him so much and be a little mean/hard on him. He’s just hilarious and a bit of a big kid. Totally harmless, but underneath…there is a more serious side to Lassiter you get a little peek at on occasion and there is a lotta heart inside that angel.

I often wonder if the angel is lonely. * looks wistful*



“Hey,” Lassiter said as he opened the way through the vestibule, “will anyone slap a puck around with me to pass the time?”

“No,” everybody including Bitty, shot back.

“But I will slap the f-in’ crap out of something else,” V said under his breath.

“I love it when you talk dirty to me. Gimme a hug. C’mon, you know you wanna…”


All in all, this was another ripper of a read and I am so excited for The Chosen coming in April 2017.

Be still my heart...it's FINALLY Layla and Xcor.

*dances like Elaine from Seinfeld*

BOOK REVIEW - THE BEAST by J.R. WARD - BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD # 14 - PIATKUS - ADULT PARANORMAL ROMANCE

By: J.R. Ward

Published By: Piatkus, Hachette

Released : Available Now

Details: Paperback from publisher for honest review.

RATING: 5 STARS!

Blurb: Goodreads

Rhage and Mary return in a new novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, a series “so popular, I don’t think there’s a reader today who hasn’t at least heard of [it]” (USA Today).

Nothing is as it used to be for the Black Dagger Brotherhood. After avoiding war with the Shadows, alliances have shifted and lines have been drawn. The slayers of the Lessening Society are stronger than ever, preying on human weakness to acquire more money, more weapons, more power. But as the Brotherhood readies for an all-out attack on them, one of their own fights a battle within himself…

For Rhage, the Brother with the biggest appetites, but also the biggest heart, life was supposed to be perfect—or at the very least, perfectly enjoyable. Mary, his beloved shellan, is by his side and his King and his brothers are thriving. But Rhage can’t understand—or control—the panic and insecurity that plague him…

And that terrifies him—as well as distances him from his mate. After suffering mortal injury in battle, Rhage must reassess his priorities—and the answer, when it comes to him, rocks his world...and Mary’s. But Mary is on a journey of her own, one that will either bring them closer together or cause a split that neither will recover from...


BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:

I’m a fan pure and simple about the way the Black Dagger Brotherhood series has evolved into this multi character read.

I loved the first group of books in the series which focused on one character and his Shellan.

I was less a fan of the story line when it ventured into the Lessers and The Omega stuff that was going on in the background, but it was essential to what the brotherhood did with their day, erm night.

Then the Warden got busy and started bringing in the BOB lads, aka The Band Of Bastards.

Then she really started multitasking with the characters and I truly enjoy it this way.

She has eased off the pedal a little bit in The Beast, concentrating more on Rhage and Mary with a side order of Assail, who I kinda dig.

I loved meeting Rhage’s dragon more and how Mary can contain the beast within. It is kinda cute. I loved reading about Rhage’s emotions and getting below the surface more with both of them.

Xcor and Layla will always be the couple that are gonna intrigue the shit out of me until I can read how J.R. can get them together, because he truly is the enemy.

Qhuinn and Blay are always such gorgeous lads. I want more from them too as I am kinda a bit greedy when it comes to them in a M/M way.

Lassiter is... dare I say it? A little more serious and thoughtful in this installment...well apart from...bahahahaa.

V is in the picture with some words of wisdom and some of his own moments of soul searching, V style.

Twists abound just to shake us up a bit and get us eager for book #15!!! I have never read 14 books in a series before. I came close with Morganville Vampires... but dayum!

I simply clear my calendar when a BDB book is released. Shit just gets swooshed to the side.

J.R puts so much energy and vision into her story lines. Some readers complain about all the characters but I simply love it.

I think from an author point of view it would be very satisfying to include a range of characters in each book.

I want to know about them all. It is incredibly hard work juggling the amount of characters she writes in an installment so I take my hat off to her.

A lot of hard work.

The books are thick so plenty of room for J.R’s imagination to fill the pages and all the characters she chooses to let us read about.

I’m looking forward to The Chosen, # 15 because after reading The Beast my brain is theorizing.

Bring it on and wait for the swoosh of everything being moved out the way. 

Bring on the new characters, bring on the multitasking of characters and I am a happy reader.

Michelle

BOOK REVIEW - COVET by J.R. WARD - FALLEN ANGELS # 1 - PIATKUS - ADULT PARANORMAL ROMANCE

By: J.R.Ward
Published By: Piatkus
Released : Available Now
Details: Paperback, 474 Pages

RATING: 4.5 JIM & VIN STARS!

Blurb: Goodreads

Seven deadly sins. Seven souls to save. This is the first battle between a savior who doesn't believe and a demon with nothing to lose!
Redemption isn't a word Jim Heron knows much about—his specialty is revenge, and to him, sin is all relative. But everything changes when he becomes a fallen angel and is charged with saving the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. And failure is not an option.

Vin DiPietro long ago sold his soul to his business, and he's good with that-until fate intervenes in the form of a tough-talking, Harley-riding, self-professed savior. And then he meets a woman who will make him question his destiny, his sanity, and his heart—and he has to work with a fallen angel to win her over and redeem his own soul.


BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:

I am up to date on all BDB books and even the spinoff series and I simply couldn’t keep avoiding reading the Fallen Angels series.

I finally dived in.

Jim and Vin.

LOVE THEM!

Eddie and Adrian...huzzahhhh!!

Loved the BDB little crossovers, made me feel all comfy and snuggly getting those references throughout Covet, no matter how small.

The Iron Mask and Trez get a mention and The Commodore, (expensive high rise apartment complex) and lots of other little things you will come across.

Trez is so beautiful and protective.

Loved having him pop up.

But, this is a FALLEN ANGELS series so I digress.

Jim Heron is one of our lead men. He is a construction worker with a past. Oh aren’t they the best when they have a past?

Anyhoo he gets himself into a pickle...he is now on a mission to save seven souls.

Let the series begin.

Now all is not what it seems, but maybe you might work out a couple things along the way.

We get introduced to the sexy sub characters, Eddie Blackhawk, Adrian Vogel...oh and Dog must get a mention too. He is a dog, not that bounty hunter on t.v. He gives Jim something to care for.

Ok so Jim Heron... (why am I feeling this bird theme with the surnames? Oh because these sexy dudes, or some of them do indeed have bird surnames, coinkidinks, I think not) he has to sort Vin DiPietro out.

His first mission.

His first soul to save.

Vin is of course, handsome, rich and living a shallow life. His girlfriend is Devina ( don’t start me), but Marie-Terese crosses his path and...

Well you will have to read to find out.

J.R. Ward visually brought me a read that leapt off the pages. There is action and humor and some very sexy times.

Good vs Evil is always fun to read when J.R. Ward is penning it.

“Because if I were you, I would want you to pick me.” His eyes flashed up to hers and held on. “I would want you to choose me. Not be with me because I paid for it. I want you...to want me and want to be with me.”

Michelle

BOOK REVIEW - BLOOD KISS by J.R. WARD - THE BLACK DAGGER LEGACY # 1 - PIATKUS - ADULT PARANORMAL ROMANCE

By: J.R. Ward

Published By: Piatkus

Released: 1st December 2015

Details: Paperback ARC from publisher for honest review, 397 Pages

RATING: 4.5 CRAEG , BUTCH, RHAGE, LASSITER, VISHOUS STARS!

Blurb: Goodreads

The legacy of the Black Dagger Brotherhood continues in a spin-off series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author…

Paradise, blooded daughter of the king’s First Advisor, is ready to break free from the restrictive life of an aristocratic female. Her strategy? Join the Black Dagger Brotherhood’s training center program and learn to fight for herself, think for herself…be herself. It’s a good plan, until everything goes wrong. The schooling is unfathomably difficult, the other recruits feel more like enemies than allies, and it’s very clear that the Brother in charge, Butch O’Neal, a.k.a. the Dhestroyer, is having serious problems in his own life.

And that’s before she falls in love with a fellow classmate. Craeg, a common civilian, is nothing her father would ever want for her, but everything she could ask for in a male. As an act of violence threatens to tear apart the entire program, and the erotic pull between them grows irresistible, Paradise is tested in ways she never anticipated—and left wondering whether she’s strong enough to claim her own power…on the field, and off.

BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:

When Blood Kiss arrived on my doorstep on Thursday I was all...cray cray with excitement.

Cue the silly fan girling around the house.

Shit just gets dropped for J.R. Ward.

The schedule gets swiped across the table, stuff going everywhere and then I am sticking up the Do Not Disturb sign.

Family... leave mamma alone.

Only if you are needing a hospital will you interrupt me.

Well, I do look after the brood, but ya get my drift.

I have a lady boner for The Warden.

Now I’m not a spoiler so this review won’t have much in it.

Here goes.

Yes, J.R. Ward has brought us back to that original vibe of BDB. I love where she is heading in the current series, but this felt like a walk down the old lane and I really loved it.

Sexiness level

Great balls of fire, people!

New kids on the block

Craeg, son of Brahl the Younger. Phwoooaaaaarrrr!!


“Do you like playing with fire, girl?” he growled. “Because if you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to burn you to the ground.”


You know that ache you’ve got right now? The one between your legs? I’m going to show you how to take care of that by yourself. And you’re going to make me come when I listen to what it sounds like.


Oh mYyyy.

Paradise. Simply love her.

New sub characters, expecially Axe, the boy is a bit Goth and he likes the erm...wild side.



Other than exchanging names – his was Axe – they hadn’t said anything, and his brooding silence fit his image completely: The male had killer written all over him, with his black spiked hair, those black piercings on one side of his face, and that tattoo of something evil running vertically up half of his neck.

Butch oh I do love Butch. What was a personal surprise for me, was Marissa. Now I didn’t really take a shine to her in the original series. She shone for me in this spinoff.

Lassiter. Oh dear God you crazy endearing angel. Man, he made me laugh. There is a visual of a scene in particular, you will know it when you get to it and the man...erm angel, is freakin’ hilarious.

This is all I can give you.



After a couple of “me-me-me-mes” – like he was warming up to do a solo – he took a great breath and –



She lowered a forkful of chicken back to her plate. “You actually made a calendar of yourself.”

“Why do you think I had my pants off.”


Now V I think is just plain annoyed with Lassiter. LOL

Speaking of V...oh there is a scene and I will say no more. Again you will know when you get to it.

What I loved about this book was the Brothers are in a teaching role and the way they teach. Hehehe.

Now I may not have gone the full five stars for this one because of a couple things I won’t say, because all is subjective, but I full on enjoyed this book and devoured it. I simply ploughed through it over a couple nights.

I am so addicted to J.R. Ward she rocks my kazbah.

Thank you Hachette Aust for feeding my addiction.

Goes without saying...buy this!

p.s. I usually like US covers more than UK/Aust covers and I gotta say we scooped the pool with the UK/Aust cover.

Huzzah!!!

Michelle

BOOK REVIEW - THE BOURBON KINGS by J.R.WARD - THE BOURBON KINGS # 1 - ADULT CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE - PIATKUS

By: J.R. Ward
Published By: Piatkus
Released: Available Now
Details: Paperback from publisher ( Hachette Thank you! ) for honest review, 421 Pages

RATING: 4.25 - 4.5 THE WARDEN STARS!

Blurb: Goodreads

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood delivers the first novel in an enthralling new series set amid the shifting dynamics of a Southern family defined by wealth and privilege—and compromised by secrets, deceit, and scandal....

For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege—as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet.

For Lizzie King, Easterly’s head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted—and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane’s beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the ironfisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets.

As family tensions—professional and intimately private—ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.

BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:


I will read anything by J.R. Ward. BDB is my addiction. I need to read the next book as soon as I can.

The Bourbon Kings is a harder review for me to write.

I enjoyed it.

It is very much a tv soap style of book. Dallas meets Dynasty, J.R. Ward style.

I will be honest and say the characters took their time connecting with me. I am not a huge soapie fan to start with and I wouldn’t watch Dallas or Dynasty on tv, but it is very easy to understand that style of show.

Betrayal, lust, sex, murder, central family with money and power etc etc...

The Bourbon Kings has all that... and a fair bit of bourbon drinking going on.

I think Edward was the character I most enjoyed reading because he has more depth to him, he was more interesting to read. He has quite a story.

I like Mack as well.


At thirty-eight, he was a loner, thanks to both choice and necessity: This job, this twenty-five-hour-a-day, eight-day-a-week job was his wife and mistress, his family and his legacy.

Samuel T is another character I would like to read more of but he does fit into that pompous type character who grew up with too much.

Shelby is probably the female character I am drawn to the most in this instalment. She isn’t in it much, but she appears a good sort.

Lane and Lizzie are more the focal point in The Bourbon Kings with everything else revolving around them.

I love Miss Aurora. She is my cup of tea.


“Are you okay?” he had to ask.

The glare she sent him suggested if he wanted to continue that line of questioning, she’d be more than happy to spank him until he shut his piehole.

Roger that ma’am, he thought.



There were never any troublemakers in Miss Aurora’s kitchen.

“G’on now,” she said softly. “Don’t wait to where it gets cold.”

Talk about digging in, and he moaned as the first taste flooded his mouth. “Oh, Miss Aurora.”

“You need to come on home, boy.” She shook her head as she sat down with her own plate. “That northern stuff is not for you. Don’t know how you stand the weather—much less those people.”

“So you going to tell me what happened?” he asked, nodding at the cotton ball and surgical tape in the crook of her elbow.

“I don’t need that car you bought me. That’s what happened.”

He wiped his mouth. “What car?”

Those black eyes narrowed. “Don’t you try to play, boy.”

“Miss Aurora, you were driving a piece of—ah, junk. I can’t have y’all like that.”

He could hear the Southern creeping back into his voice. Didn’t take long, did it.


I will definitely continue reading this series simply because J.R.Ward is writing it. I want to know more.

I do want to get that escapism I crave from one of her books, I want more than a soapie feel. Of course we are only just scratching the surface with this first instalment.

I hear there is a possible tv show being talked about for this series. Not sure if I would watch it on tv as soapies aren’t my thing, but if this series turned into more than a soapie style read, then I would consider it.

Now if BDB was optioned for a tv series...whahhhh I would be all over that with my popcorn and Grey Goose. 

Erm, not sure of that food/beverage combination, but you get what I mean.

Michelle

BOOK REVIEW - THE SHADOWS by J.R. WARD - BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD # 13 - ADULT PARANORMAL ROMANCE - PIATKUS

By: J.R. Ward

Published By: Piatkus

Released : Available Now

Details: Paperback from Hachette Aust for honest review, 576 Pages

RATING: 5 EMOTION PACKED STARS!

Blurb: Goodreads

Two brothers bound by more than blood fight to change a brutal destiny in the heart-wrenching new novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood by #1 New York Times bestselling author J. R. Ward.

Trez “Latimer” doesn’t really exist. And not just because the identity was created so that a Shadow could function in the underbelly of the human world. Sold by his parents to the Queen of the S’Hsibe as a child, Trez escaped the Territory and has been a pimp and an enforcer in Caldwell, NY for years- all the while on the run from a destiny of sexual servitude. He’s never had anyone he could totally rely on... except for his brother, iAm.

iAm’s sole goal has always been to keep his brother from self-destructing- and he knows he’s failed. It’s not until the Chosen Serena enters Trez’s life that the male begins to turn things around... but by then it’s too late. The pledge to mate the Queen’s daughter comes due and there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no negotiating.

Trapped between his heart and a fate he never volunteered for, Trez must decide whether to endanger himself and others- or forever leave behind the female he’s in love with. But then an unimaginable tragedy strikes and changes everything. Staring out over an emotional abyss, Trez must find a reason to go on or risk losing himself and his soul forever. And iAm, in the name of brotherly love, is faced with making the ultimate sacrifice...


BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:

J.R. Ward has me sticking with this series like glue to paper.

I’m addicted.

For those who have followed The Black Dagger Brotherhood and are fellow prisoners to this series you know she likes to change her style throughout the series.

We had the individual brothers and their loves, then she changed to bringing us lots of side stories and now we seem to be doing that but Rhage has tickled her fancy to give him some more storyline.

I am intrigued.

The Warden has also decided to rip our hearts out and keep it that way.

OMG!

I cried.

I CRIED!

There is so much going on yet again and I really do take my hat off to The Warden for the amount of detail and attention to context she has to juggle, to get these bricks of books over the finish line. Readers really need to appreciate the work involved. I totally dig the multitude of stories going on.

Trez and iAm and Xcor and s’Ex are the lads that really made me feel in this instalment.

iAm did make me giggle at him and Goddamn Cat.

iAm caught Goddamn Cat, also known as Boo, in his arms. He absolutely despised the animal—especially lately, as the fleabag had started sleeping with him during the day. All that cuddling. Purring.

Worse? He was getting used to the torture.


Lassiter is hilarious in his small role. 

Lassiter poked his head out of the billiards room. "Hey! Dragon boy -- Project Runway's on if you wanna come watch. Maybe pick up some pointers on your threads." 

I love how new music was brought to my attention. Schoolboy Q I had not heard of, but I like to listen to the music that gets brought into any story and I could so see the scene that much more 3D with Hell of a Night playing.

There is also a hint at a new direction with the Brotherhood that I think is about time and totally cool.

I get so excited to read a J.R. Ward BDB book. Now I did shy away from reading her Fallen Angels series, I do have some here on my shelf to read only because I didn’t want my BDB bubble burst. I need them to be as good as BDB.

Regardless I will crack Covet open shortly. They are calling to me.

I highly recommend reading this exceptional paranormal series filled with Alpha males, villains, Grey Goose, SEX, emotion, LOVE, Band of Bastards aka BOB, tough women, shit kickers, manly love, bromance...

Seriously crack them open in order and get with the BDB program.

When my daughter is waaaaaay old enough, she will be getting mine lovingly handed down to her.

Michelle

BOOK REVIEW - THE KING by J.R. WARD - BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD # 12 - ADULT URBAN FANTASY PARANORMAL ROMANCE - PIATKUS

By: J.R. Ward

Published By: Piatkus

Released : 1st April 2014

Details : Paperback from publisher for honest review, 573 Pages. Thank you Hachette Australia.

RATING: 5 DAMN! J.R. WARD IS A FREAKIN' AWESOME WRITER  STARS!!

Blurb: Goodreads

Long live the King...After turning his back on the throne for centuries, Wrath, son of Wrath, finally assumed his father's mantle- with the help of his beloved mate. But the crown sits heavily on his head.

As the war with the Lessening Society rages on, and the threat from the Band of Bastards truly hits home, he is forced to make choices that put everything - and everyone- at risk.

Beth Randall thought she knew what she was getting into when she mated the last pure blooded vampire on the planet: An easy ride was not it.

But when she decides she wants a child, she's unprepared for Wrath's response - or the distance it creates between them. The question is, will true love win out...or tortured legacy take over.

BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:

Hell. Yeah! With a great big rum and raisin icecream with the brothers on top!

HELL YEAH!

This was a most scrumptious read. I just want to pull out the thesaurus and throw down a whole lot of words. But, you get my drift.

Freakin’, darn, awesome.

Worth the wait.

Ok, so Ms Ward has adopted the multiple pov style from Lover At Last, again. I really like it.

I will say, that I was missing Qhuinn and Blay, but they did have a whole book to themselves and it is time to move on and put the spotlight elsewhere. I did miss them. 

Call me pervy, but I did miss them.

* waggles eyebrows *

It’s no surprise that this book is about Wrath and Beth and her need for a kidlet. I abso...lute...ly loved how that played out.

I shall say no more.

Or I could say... 

“It’s all about carrots!” 

...Aaaaaand I could throw in a non spoiler quote, because duh!! 

“I love you,” he said into her hair. “Forever.” 

Even though I wanna say more.

iAm was my guy in this book. I abso...lute...ly loved him. He is such a cutie. 

Lassiter too tickled my funny bone, but he tickles it each book he is in. He is just the BDB sidekick character that J.R lets loose with and has some awesome fun. I can tell how much fun she had writing him in this book. 

* snort * 

Lassiter is currently what I call a floating character, he just pops in and out as she pleases and makes me snort.

I could so see his scenes.

HA! HAaaaahahaaaa!

Lassiter is effortlessly, precious.


“What the fuck is that?” 

At the sound of V’s voice, John turned with the rest of them... and when he saw what was up at the head of the grand staircase, he blinked once. Twice. Twelve times.


See, no spoiler from me. You will have to read to see what was at the top of that staircase.


“I didn’t bring enough tobacco for this,” V bitched.


I gotta say I laughed and laughed over a couple of pages.

I am a mega Fritz fan. The poor doggen just wants to do stuff. I need him to come over to my house. He can tidy up after the kids and be on cloud nine.


Fritz sprang into action, pulling open cupboards and drawers -- and she didn’t have the heart to tell him not to wait on her.

I tell ya, he puts Batman’s, Albert to shame.


“Fritz.”

The butler rushed over from the crudite arrangement he was working on. “Yes, master! I am eager to be of aid.” 

Xcor - fan art 

Xcor, I do really like you. You are a naughty BOB - Band of Bastard with your evil thinking, but I cannae help liking you. Not sure why I went Scottish there. You make me laugh with your old ways and... you do have a heart underneath all that cold exterior. I think you are quite hurt underneath.


“Knock her dead, my man.”

“Oh, no,” Xcor shook his head. “That shan’t be necessary. This one I like.”


HA!!

OOO, Ms Ward was throwing in some Miley C, snark. Loved it! Seriously if you can get your name several times in a BDB book, all the power to ya! 

Starts thinking of ways to get J.R.'s attention.

Trez...ooo you let the cat out of the bag. I do love you too.

Sola and Assail, and grandma. HA! It takes a little ol’grandmother to be able to wear the pants. Love it!


She opened her mouth as if to argue, but she was headstrong -- not foolish. “Then I do the darning.”

“Our clothes are in sufficient shape --“

Ehric cleared his throat. “Actually, I have a couple of loose buttons.”


I got to say I do love Goddamn. What a pairing.

I kinda went, awwwwwwWWwww.

It’s very hard to write this review, without almost saying nothing and just going 5 STARS!! Read it! You won’t be disappointed. But, I write reviews, so I have to say stuff, so I am trying without spoilers. 

Not as easy as you think because a lot of stuff was going on, back and forth in this book.

It isn’t bad ass thick and tall for no reason, people!

A very intriguingly paced read which made me laugh hard at times and it made me get a little choked up. Lots of pov’s being juggled around and more seeds dropped for future books which I am going to be really old by the time I get to read them all.

*sigh*

Bring. On . Number Thirteen.

Hell. Yeah!!

I kinda wish my life away on some authors, just to get to another book.

Read BDB , I highly recommend this series. The brothers are all something to behold.

Michelle

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY # 10 - THE KING BY J.R.WARD & BURNED by KAREN MARIE MONING - FEVER # 7 - PIATKUS - DELACORTE - ADULT PARANORMAL ROMANCE

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY # 10

19TH MARCH 2014

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at:

Breaking The Spine

Spotlights upcoming releases.

THE KING

J.R. WARD

1ST APRIL 2014

J.R. Ward's # 1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood continues as a royal bloodline is compromised by a grave threat to the throne.

Aussie cover

Long live the King…

After turning his back on the throne for centuries, Wrath, son of Wrath, finally assumed his father’s mantle--with the help of his beloved mate. But the crown sets heavily on his head. As the war with the Lessening Society rages on, and the threat from the Band of Bastards truly hits home, he is forced to make choices that put everything--and everyone--at risk.

Beth Randall thought she knew what she was getting into when she mated the last pure blooded vampire on the planet: An easy ride was not it. But when she decides she wants a child, she’s unprepared for Wrath’s response--or the distance it creates between them.

The question is, will true love win out... or tortured legacy take over?

******

It is J.R. Ward so I am going to love it and it is just around the corner. Black Dagger Brotherhood is one of my favourite Paranormal Romance reads. Lover At Last had so many seeds dropped down for future books. I am so excited to read this one. I am quite a fan of the Aussie covers.

BURNED 

KAREN MARIE MONING

FEVER # 7

This has been pushed back to January 2015.

I am gonna have to read this book mega slow. 
Devour it and taste every page.
Note that pun I threw in.
Blurb still be coming.

MacKayla Lane and Dani “Mega” O’Malley are back with a vengeance in Burned, the seventh novel in the blockbuster Fever series from #1 New York Times bestselling sensation Karen Marie Moning.

MY REVIEW OF ICED

HAPPY READING!

Looking forward to seeing what everyone is WOWing over.

Michelle

SOME OF THE BOOKS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO READING - NOVELS ON THE RUN

PRINCE OF SHADOWS

RACHEL CAINE

DUE FOR RELEASE - 4TH FEBRUARY 2014

Goodreads

A standalone built around the character of Benvolio, from Romeo and Juliet. The novel will be told from the point of view of Benvolio, who is Romeo’s cousin and, in Shakespeare’s play, attempts to get the lovelorn Montague interested in other girls after it’s discovered that Juliet is a member of the clan his family despises: the Capulets. Caine’s novel, her agent said, explores a scenario in which Romeo and Juliet are not the only couple to fall into dire romantic straits and is “a tale of intrigue, betrayal, hatred, and tragedy,” about “lovers lost, and lovers found.” (From Publisher's Weekly)

This was all taken from an email with news from Rachel Caine. I was trying to find it on her web page. I found all the Morganville etc stuff so I have copied it and pasted it here. I was trying for the link but I took the news from the email in the end. So below are all Rachel Caine's words, not mine.

Yes, that is one smoking hot cover - I could not be more pleased with it! I think it perfectly reflects the lush setting and tone of the story, and it's just flat-out amazing work by artist Michael Heath.

Prince of Shadows is a real adventure for me ... I wanted to retell the story of Romeo and Juliet, be faithful to the period and the events of the play, and yet put an entirely new interpretation on the events. So this is the play you know, but trust me ... you do not know this story. Benvolio Montague is our guide through the tale, and from his unique perspective we'll learn secrets and lies, triumph and tragedy in entirely new ways.

Here's a quick sample from the novel ...

I stood in the dark corner of my enemy’s house, and thought of murder.

In his bed, Tybalt Capulet snored and drooled like a toothless old woman. I marveled as I thought of how the women of Verona -- from dewy-eyed maids to dignified ladies -- fell swooning in his wake. If they could see him like this (a drunken, undignified mess in sodden linen) they'd have run shrieking to the arms of their fathers and husbands.

It would make a good, vivid story to retell, but only among my closest and dearest.

I turned a dagger restlessly in my gloved hand, feeling that murderous tingle working its way through my veins, but I was no assassin. I was not here to kill. I'd come stealthily into his house, into his rooms, for a purpose.

Tybalt, the heir of Capulet, swaggered the streets of Verona and used wit like weapons; that was nothing new among our class of young cocks. He was never above offering insults, to low or high, when opportunity came. Today, he'd offended my house. House Montague.

The victim was a serving girl. Insults to servants didn't call for open challenges from those of my station, but still, it pricked me, seeing the self-satisfied grin on Tybalt's face as he emerged from that rank little alcove where he’d reduced her to tears; I’d seen her run from him red-faced, holding the tattered rags of her clothes together. He'd injured the girl only to prove his contempt for my house, and that required an answer.

It required revenge, and that was something that I, Benvolio Montague, would serve him – not in the streets, in open war, but here, in the dark. Tonight, I was clad head to toe in disguise, and there was nothing about me to indicate my station, or my house. Tonight, I was a thief -- the best thief in Verona. They called me the Prince of Shadows. For three years, I had stolen from my peers without being caught, and tonight … tonight would be no different.

Except that it was different. My hands felt hot and restless. So easy to drag a dagger across that hated throat, but murder spawned murder, and I didn't want to kill Tybalt. There had been enough of that between our two houses; the streets ran slick with spilled blood. No ... I wanted to humiliate him. I wanted to knock him from his perch as the man of the hour.

I had the will, and the access. All that remained now was to choose how to hurt him best. Tybalt was the God-crowned heir of Capulet; he was rich, indulged, and careless. I needed to wound him where it counted -- in the eyes of his family, and preferably in the eyes of all Verona.

Ah. I spotted a gleam as something caught the light on the floor. I crossed to the corner where he'd dumped a tangle of clothing, and found the jeweled emblem pinned to his doublet -- a gaudy piece, in Capulet colors, one that would feed even a well-done-by merchant family for a year. No doubt he'd underpaid for it, as well; Tybalt was more likely to terrify honest men into bargains than pay fairly. I added the prize to my purse, and then drew Tybalt's rapier from its sheath, slowly and carefully. It came free with a soft, singing ring of steel, and I turned it in the moonlight, assessing the quality. Very fine, and engraved with his name and crest. A lovely weapon. A personal weapon.
He did not deserve such a beautiful thing.

I sheathed it and belted it on, opposite my own rapier. As the heir of Capulet snored, drunken and oblivious, I pulled off my black cap and bowed with perfect form, just the way I would have been honor-bound to greet him if we'd had the mischance to meet on the street. Under the breath-moistened black silk of my mask, I was smiling, but it felt more like a grimace.

"Good night, sweet prince, thou poxy son of a dog," I whispered. Tybalt smacked his lips, mumbled drunkenly, and rolled over. In seconds, he was snoring again, loud as a grinding-wheel against a knife.

I slipped out of the door of his apartments, past his equally dozy servant, and considered my exit from the Capulet palace. The obvious was to return the way I'd entered, but I'd come in during the height of the busy afternoon, carrying a box of supplies from a provisioner's wagon. I'd spent the day admiring the brickwork of the Capulet cellars. Going out the same way was unlikely; the kitchen door was almost certainly locked and guarded now.

Out through the narrow gardens, then. Once I was beyond the wall’s high stone barrier, I would be just another bravo on the moonlit streets, making for my bed.

I went up the stairs, taking them two at a time; my soft leather shoes made no sound on the polished marble. I'd worn gray to blend into the ever-present stone and brick of Verona; in the shadows, there was nothing better with which to disappear. Even here, inside the quiet house, it was a reasonably good disguise. I ghosted past murky squares of paintings upon the walls, and a candelabra with two still-burning tapers (a true sign of family wealth); the tapestry at the top of the stairs was rich and very tempting to steal, but too heavy, and I had enough trophies already.

Upstairs was women's country. Lady Capulet would have the largest and most lavish quarters, to the right -- the grand palace was almost a mirror of my own family's, in many ways. That meant the girls would have the smaller apartments to the left -- the oldest, Rosaline, said to be studious and bookish, was probably well asleep by now. She'd have the far rooms, since she was only a cousin, not the lady's own daughter. She was Tybalt's sister, arrived in Verona only a few months before, and kept shut up hard in the palace. I’d heard a rumor she was nothing like her loathsome brother, at least; that was to her credit.

There was no servant on duty at her door, and when I tried it, I found it unlocked. A trusting lot, these Capulets, at least within their own walls. I slipped the latch and stepped quietly inside, only to find that the room wasn't as dark as I'd hoped. There was a low-burning fire crackling on the hearth, and a candle flickering on the table. It scarcely mattered if the girl had left lights burning, as the bed curtains were pulled. She'd hear and see nothing through the thick coverings. I took reasonable care not to allow the floor to creak as I crossed it, and I was almost to the window when I realized that I had erred.
Badly.

Rosaline Capulet was not in bed. She was, instead, perched in a chair on the far side of the table, reading a slim book.

I saw her before she saw me. Candlelight dusted her skin with gold, and flickered in her large, dark eyes; her neck was swan-graceful, and her slender hands cupped the spine of the volume with care. She wore a simple lawn night-gown. I could make out the shadowed curves of her body beneath the white fabric. She had put her midnight-dark hair into a long braid for the night, and was thoughtfully twirling one end of it as she read.

No one had warned me she was beautiful.

THE KING - BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD # 12

J.R. WARD

DUE FOR RELEASE : 25TH MARCH 2014

The newest installment in J.R. Ward’s #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Wrath and the Brotherhood are locked in an epic battle over his throne and the very future of the vampire race.

THE DREAM THIEVES - THE RAVEN CYCLE # 2

MAGGIE STIEFVATER

DUE FOR RELEASE - 17TH SEPTEMBER 2013

The second installment in the all-new series from the masterful, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater!

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after...

KINSLAYER - THE LOTUS WAR # 2

JAY KRISTOFF

DUE FOR RELEASE - 17TH SEPTEMBER 2013

A SHATTERED EMPIRE

The mad Shōgun Yoritomo has been assassinated by the Stormdancer Yukiko, and the threat of civil war looms over the Shima Imperium. The Lotus Guild conspires to renew the nation’s broken dynasty and crush the growing rebellion simultaneously – by endorsing a new Shōgun who desires nothing more than to see Yukiko dead.

A DARK LEGACY

Yukiko and the mighty thunder tiger Buruu have been cast in the role of heroes by the Kagé rebellion. But Yukiko herself is blinded by rage over her father’s death, and her ability to hear the thoughts of beasts is swelling beyond her power to control. Along with Buruu, Yukiko’s anchor is Kin, the rebel Guildsman who helped her escape from Yoritomo’s clutches. But Kin has his own secrets, and is haunted by visions of a future he’d rather die than see realized.

A GATHERING STORM

Kagé assassins lurk within the Shōgun’s palace, plotting to end the new dynasty before it begins. A waif from Kigen’s gutters begins a friendship that could undo the entire empire. A new enemy gathers its strength, readying to push the fracturing Shima imperium into a war it cannot hope to survive. And across raging oceans, amongst islands of black glass, Yukiko and Buruu will face foes no katana or talon can defeat.

The ghosts of a blood-stained past.

ALLEGIANT - DIVERGENT # 3

VERONICA ROTH

DUE FOR RELEASE - 22ND OCTOBER 2013

One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth’s #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

DARKNESS SPLINTERED - DARK ANGELS # 6

KERI ARTHUR

DUE FOR RELEASE - 5TH NOVEMBER 2013

When Risa loses the second key to hell, she angers several powerful people, and she’s starting to feel the pressure from all sides. She gets a visit from her father, who gives her an ultimatum: Get back the key or he will kill her friends.

Risa also finds herself under the scrutiny of the vampire council, some of whom consider her a monster who should be destroyed. But they offer her a bloody bargain: Take on the lethal head of the council, Madeline Hunter, and others will support her.

As the search for the keys to hell heats up, Risa realizes that she has no choice. For the sake of the people she loves, she must find the keys — and get rid of Hunter — before the second gate is opened and brings the world closer to all hell breaking loose...

THE FIERY HEART - BLOODLINES # 4

RICHELLE MEAD

DUE FOR RELEASE - 19TH NOVEMBER 2013

In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this thrilling fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

VAMPIRE SEEKER - SAMMY CARTER # 1

TIM O'ROURKE

DUE FOR RELEASE - 14TH JANUARY 2014
Was Self Published , now Piatkus Publishing

Samantha Carter believes that a vampire is responsible for the brutal deaths of four women in Whitechapel, London, England. Each murder is identical to those committed a hundred years before by a very different serial killer. 

Desperate to prove the killer’s identity, Samantha follows him onto a late night tube train. But Samantha doesn’t reach the next station and finds herself on a very different journey, where she discovers vampires are very real and far more dangerous than she had ever imagined. To stay alive, Samantha needs to figure out why things have gone so terribly wrong for her – and more importantly, why she is out of time? 

‘Vampire Seeker’ is Book One in the Samantha Carter Series. 

“...Tim O'Rourke has ventured into the adult genre with a spectacular entrance. 'Samantha Carter - Vampire Seeker' is a whole lot of brain gymnastics and fun, not to mention some awesome new characters for us to get to know and enjoy. All I am going to say is chapter 23!!!! I do blush!” – Novels On The Run.

“...O'Rourke has once again written a wonderful novel filled with mystery and intrigue, and it definitely piqued my interest and kept me guessing.” – A BookVacation

“...Sammy was shameless and totally consumed by the moment I can't believe Tim wrote it!” – Talk Supe

**This is a mature New Adult Novel**

BURNED - FEVER # 7

KAREN MARIE MONING

DUE FOR RELEASE - 22ND APRIL 2014

The next book in #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning's Fever series featuring beloved characters Mac and Dani O'Malley. Iced, the latest in the series, ended with a BANG and Burned will pick up right where that left off, delivering another shockingly suspenseful adventure set in the Fever world.

Story Locale: Ireland

Series Overview: Moning's new urban paranormal trilogy is connected to the world of her blockbuster Fever series that fans have grown to know and love, picking up right where Shadowfever (1/11) left off. Featuring beloved characters from the Fever novels, including Christian MacKelter, Ryodan, Mac and Barron and others, this seductive series hinges upon a powerful, tough-talking teen sidhe seer as she battles dark forces to bring justice to light.

Michelle