Damsel - A twisted and dark fairytale

Damsel

by Elana K. Arnold
Narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden
Audiobook: 7 hours
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After ripping his heart out of his chest she ought to have said: Fuck you I'm a dragon!

This book was most likely written to mimic and ridicule a world dominated by men who think they have the upper hand over the weaker sex like they are nothing but a vessel. Hmph. However, I'm not bothered because Ama remembers what she really is before she ties the knot with King Emory, the gross egotistical LIAR! UGH!

Publisher Summary:

A dark, twisted, unforgettable fairy tale from Elana K. Arnold, author of the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of 

The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: When the king dies, his son the prince must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been. When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by the dragon or what horrors she faced in its lair. She knows only this handsome young man, the story he tells of her rescue and her destiny of sitting on a throne beside him. It's all like a dream, like something from a fairy tale. As Ama follows Emory to the kingdom of Harding, however, she discovers that not all is as it seems. There is more to the legends of the dragons and the damsels than anyone knows, and the greatest threats may not be behind her, but around her, now, and closing in.

Where Winter Finds You: A Caldwell Christmas (Black Dagger Brotherhood #17.5)

Where Winter Finds You(Black Dagger Brotherhood #17.5) by J.R. Ward

Narrated by Jim Frangione
9 hours, 37 minutes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher Summary:

#1 New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward is heating things up this winter with a holiday novel featuring some of her most iconic Black Dagger Brothers.

When Trez lost his beloved to a tragic death (The Shadows, Black Dagger Brotherhood #13), his soul was crushed and his destiny seemed relegated to suffering. But when he meets a mysterious female, he becomes convinced his true love has been reincarnated. Is he right? Or has his grief created a disastrous delusion?
Therese has come to Caldwell to escape a rift with her bloodline. The revelation that she was adopted and not born into her family shakes the foundations of her identity, and she is determined to make it on her own. Her attraction to Trez is not what she's looking for, except the sexy Shadow proves to be undeniable.
Has fate provided a grieving widower with a second chance...or is Trez too blinded by the past to see the present for what it really is? In this sensual, arresting book full of the themes of redemption and self-discovery, two lost souls find themselves at a crossroads where the heart is the only compass that can be trusted...but that may require a courage that neither of them possesses.

My Review:

In the words of Lassiclaus "I'm a sucker for true love, what can I say." Lassiter performs his first miracle in Where Winter Finds You with the reincarnation of Selene. Trez Latimer's Shellan.
Therese learns the truth that she is adopted. She was left on her adoptive parents' doorstep by Lassiter when she was a baby.

Fate and all that jazz will have these two souls meet again.

Raven Point Pack Audio Blitz & Giveaway!

Today I am excited to share the Raven Point Pack Audiobooks by Heather Renee with you. Narrated by Kasi Hollowell and produced by The Audio Flow, this new adult paranormal romance series is full of shifters, sass, romance, and unforeseen twists. 

Come check out the series and enter the giveaway before adding them to your audio bookshelf! 

THE RAVEN PACK TRILOGY

Shades of Fury Taya's just been named alpha-in-training. First order of business: avenging her twin brother's death. When Cord connected a rival pack to the disappearances of humans, he paid the ultimate price. Now it's up to Taya to pick up where he left off and find justice for those who have been harmed. As she closes in on her brother's murderer, the threats only escalate. He wasn't the only target, and now everyone she loves is in danger, further fueling Taya's need for revenge. With the help of an irresistible shifter named Liam, they set out in search of the only witch coven strong enough to set things right. Only Taya isn't sure who to trust, and if she doesn't decide soon, she could lose not only her heart but also the people she loves most.

 Grab your copy: Audible | iTunes 

Shades of Magic When Taya is faced with deciding who will live or die, she struggles to accept the outcome when the choice is made for her. As Raven Point mourns the loss of one of their own, they band together with the witches to seek vengeance. Not only for their fallen pack mate, but for anyone who has suffered from Declan's decisions. Though the battle looms near, Taya finds herself continually drawn to Liam. She must decide if they're stronger together or if he's merely a distraction she can't afford right now. When the dust settles, and the consequences of their actions come to light, Taya and Liam may just find themselves at their breaking point.

Grab your copy: Audible | iTunes

Shades of Deceit The need for vengeance can chase away everything...even those she loves most. Taya's worst fears are coming true as Liam's grief begins to consume him. Watching him slip away, she teeters on the edge of being a patient mate and a desperate woman. With an uncertain future, one misstep could be the end of their new love. Just when the pack thinks they're gaining the upper hand, another adversary makes an appearance. Taya will need to trust the enemy if she wants to keep her loved ones away from the threat. If she isn't careful, she'll become the next casualty in Declan's battle for supremacy. Secrets will be revealed, lives will be changed, and strengths will be tested as everyone is pushed beyond their breaking point in hopes of making it out alive.

Grab your copy: Audible | iTunes

Listen to a sample of Shades of Fury

Listen to "Shades of Fury Sample" on Spreaker.

About Heather Renee

Heather Renee is a USA Today Bestselling author who lives in Oregon. She writes Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance novels with a mixture of adventure, humor, and sass. Her love of reading eventually led to her passion of writing and giving the gift of escapism. When Heather's not writing, she is spending time with her loving husband and beautiful daughter, going on their own adventures. She loves to hear from her fans.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Facebook Reader's Group

Enter the Giveaway

One lucky winner will win a copy of Shades of Fury the first book in the Raven Point Pack trilogy. Open Internationally. US winner will receive a signed copy. 

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Review: The Fireman

The Fireman by Joe Hill

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Fireman, written by Joe Hill (King) and narrated by Kate Mulgrew.👌👍💝
The best narrator there ever was or will be haha!

When John, the fireman Rookwood and Harper Grayson-Willowes meet the first time, she is (the only) nurse on staff in a hospital full of sick patients waiting in a lineup a mile long. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a man with a fireman outfit steps out of line carrying a little boy in his arms insisting no, demanding, they do something for the boy. He was taken seriously eventually, and the boy treated for a ruptured appendix. Meanwhile, the rest of the world is being wiped out on a catastrophic, apocalyptic scale from Dragonscayle. A spore that infects you from ash and can kill you making you burst into flames if you let it. Nobody is safe from the fires but John Rookwood has found a way to deal with it instead.
I usually don't like reading about apocalyptic end-of-the-world scenarios, because I can't handle the endless carnage and human waste and suffering. However, I never felt hope was lost in The Fireman. Right up until the end there was a glimmer of hope that everything (the world surrounding Harper) was going to be Ok. It didn't feel like all was lost for Harper's little group, at least the situations they encountered were not insufferable all the time. I was right.

Although the nature of humanity was sick as ever, I could relate lol
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Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Audiobook 
narrated by Jennifer Ikeda👍👌
Buy on Amazon Canada
The Book Depository(affiliate link)

When Feyre goes hunting in the woods one day, to provide meat for her family, she spots a wolf and a deer and decides to kill the wolf and sell his pelt on the market. She may have regretted killing the wolf, but it wasn't a mistake to be certain. 〘The wolf was a fairy, who had been sent by Tamlin himself as a sacrificial lamb. Feyre was meant to kill the fairy wolf.〙 
Tamlin gets all up in her face for killing the shapeshifting fae and feeds her a mouthful of lies before he takes her back to the Spring Court. There he entices her to fall in love with him. They become intimately closer as Amarantha (the blight) is threatening the faerie realms and taking their magic powers. Tamlin isn't as strong as he used to be and he is cursed to wear a mask until the curse is lifted, which can only happen if a human kills a fae and falls in love with one. Feyre only needed to speak those magic words "I love you," and the curse would be lifted. But Tamlin is running out of time.

I thought Feyre would be happy with Tamlin in the land of faery. I mean she could come and go as she pleases and her bedroom is bigger than her cottage! Not to mention servants who looked after her. Tam and Lucien treat her pretty well, but she was petty and selfish. All she wanted was to go home to her sisters and father, but the memory of the day she was taken was wiped from their minds, and all they knew was that she was with a distant Aunt and safe.

"It took me a couple of hours to stop painting little portraits of Tamlin and Lucien with pigs' features. But as I finished the last one - Two faerie pigs wallowing in their own filth, I would call it - I smiled into the clear, bright light of my private painting room. The Tamlin I knew had returned. And it made me ...happy." page 200

When Feyre was abused by Rhysand, a High Lord of the Night Court, Tamlin was afraid, if Amarantha were to find out about her, Feyre would be killed. So, he sends her back to her village. It was then Feyre should've told Tamlin she loved him. Stupid girl. She could have lifted the curse! She should have listened to the Suriel too. Oh well.

"some people would hurt you, Feyre. Hurt you because of what you are to me. I thought I would be able to handle them, to shield you from it, but after today... I can't. So you need to go home, far from here. You'll be safe there."-page 243-244

Her family was well cared for by Tamlin. They went from rags to riches in no time. Feyre's sister wasn't compelled and knew something was wrong. Feyre admitted to the real truth, but she also was anxious about Tamlin. All she wanted to do was to go back to Tamlin and his estate. Only Alis told her that Tamlin, Lucien and everyone else was taken under the mountain. Alis also was able to tell the real story about everyone and what a story it was indeed!
What the hell made Feyre, a mere human, think she could save Tamlin and the whole of Prythia? She couldn't even read!!?
To take Tamlin back, Amarantha gave Feyre three trials to perform and a riddle to solve. Really? The things she did for love.

There are those who seek me a lifetime but never we meet,
And those I kiss but who trample me beneath ungrateful feet.

At times I seem to favor the clever and the fair,
But I bless all those who are brave enough to dare.

By large, my ministrations are soft-handed and sweet,
But scorned, I become a difficult beast to defeat.

For though each of my strikes lands a powerful blow,
When I kill, I do it slow...

View all my reviews

Blood Kiss by J.R.Ward

Buy on Amazon
Add it to Goodreads

Blood Kiss by J.R. Ward

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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.

I thought Blood Kiss was Ok. It was not as good as the Black Dagger Brotherhood IMO considering it is in the same universe. Butch didn't quite sound himself and I never cared for Marissa and those were the only other couple from the BDB who had a role in Blood Kiss. Vishous and Doc Jane, Mary and Rhage were also present. Abalone, the aristocrat in the Glymera, is the King's right-hand man and his daughter, Paradise is the leading character. She isn't impressed with being a woman of the Aristocracy, meaning she isn't your typical stereotype to be treated the way woman are treated. Her passion is for fighting, and she enrolls in the BDB training program, along with 60 others. She was the last one standing and therefore named the Primus. Excellent for her and her dad should be proud, except he wouldn't have seriously allowed her to join the training program save for Paradise telling him a lie like she wasn't planning on fighting the wars against the Lessers.

Another story within Blood Kiss is that of Butch and Marissa. Safeplace was for domestic violence and abuse cases mostly all women. Marissa witnessed an injured female badly beaten and in trauma but she couldn't get help from the brothers who were all in a meeting so she phones her brother Havers. Their relationship hadn't been a good one so she kinda had to force herself to ask him for a favor. If he would look after the injured female. I didn't care about the injured female, but I suppose the story ended on a good note in some ways but meh.

The true proverbial hero of Blood Kiss is Craeg. For the sole reason of rescuing a damsel in distress the daughter of the Glymera, Paradise. We see their romance and downright lusty eroticism between these two, that much was to be expected. Yay. They are both tough characters and I find no qualms about them. They make a good addition to the BDB. I mean with Paradise, even though she is an aristocrat, I warmed up to her more than I did to Xhex.

Peyton, I seem to recall from the BDB but I would have to go back and read The Beast or Lover At Last to remember him. He was Paradises' best friend. I'm sure we will hear more about Axe and Novo, who were two others who made it through the BDB's training program. It was a really tough course and out of 60 participants, only 7 made it. (view spoiler)[Btw, Anslam was the bad guy (hide spoiler)]

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The Snow Queen- A Holiday Gift from Audible

A holiday gift from Audible.com to all its members is this beautiful classic fairytale of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen performed by Julia Whelan.

"Except ye become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

The Snow Queen

Written by: Hans Christian Andersen
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Length: 1 hr and 14 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Add To Goodreads

Publisher's Summary

This classic tale is a fantastical fable of two dear friends - one of whom goes astray and is literally lost to the north woods, while the other undertakes an epic journey to rescue him. This charming, strange, and wonderful story is a timeless allegory about growing up and the challenges of staying true to one's self, and it served as the wintry inspiration for the blockbuster hit Frozen.

Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls #2)

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Audiobook
Narrated by: Dan Bittner (Cole), Pierce Cravens (Sam), Emma Galvin (Isabel), Jenna Lamia (Grace)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a story about a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who is now one. It is up to Sam to find a cure for the wolves of mercy falls and ...to find Grace again.

Publishers Summary:

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past...and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves...and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.
At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love - the light and the dark, the warm and the cold - in a way you will never forget.

About the author:

Maggie Stiefvater is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shiver, Linger, and Forever. Since publication, rights to thirty-five foreign editions of Shiver have been licensed. Maggie is also the author of Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception and Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie. Her latest novel The Scorpio Races is available in October 2011. An avid reader, award-winning artist, and accomplished musician, Maggie lives in Virginia with her husband and their two children. You can visit her online at www.maggiestiefvater.com.

Never Fade (The Darkest Minds #2)

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

I also listened to it on Audio
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Lator Gator"- Jude
"In an hour sunflower"- Ruby

At first I had difficulty concentrating on the story that ended in a dusty fiery landscape with Clancy Gray btw. I would've liked if It'd grabbed my attention but it didn't. It was like it was missing important pieces of the puzzle. I mean like large chunks of the story, that otherwise might've been helpful. I could barely understand it at all. Are all dystopia's supposed to be that way?

Whatever Ruby knew about the children's league before she came into it was only what Liam had told her, and now she was stuck inside this horrible organized crime OP alone, after having erased Liam's memories of her.
Vida and Jude are the leagues, (Cole and Kates) puppets.
We know Ruby is an Orange which means she has some special ability that allows her to control minds just like the Slip Kid Clancy Gray.
Vida is a blue and batshit crazy. She can move objects and things. Jude is a yellow. He's so young. I can't remember anything about them though. Lo and behold Cole is a Red!~gasp. He's Liam's older brother. Kate has always been so nice. I still don't know what to make of her. Is she just a genuinely kind person?

Apparently this IAAN disease was the cause of the world apocalypse and kids were ripped away from their parents and put into camps. So far I don't see how IAAN is so horrible but only how horrible the government is. Funny that.




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The Professional: Game Maker Part 1

The Professional: Part 1 by Kresley Cole

Published December 16th 2013 by Simon & Schuster Audio
Narrated by: Kimberly Alexis
Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Joke him if he can't take a fuck."

Natalie Porter lives a simple life in Lincoln Nebraska. Her ability to 'manalyze' is something she takes pride in and for that matter the reason she's still a virgin. At 24 she still hasn't found the right one. Adopted at an early age , now a College student looking to get her masters degree and find her biological parents, she hires a private investigator from Russia named Zironoff . She never hears from him and he never answers her emails.

While out drinking with her friend Jess, Mafiya enforcer Aleksei Sevastyan catches her eyes. Although Natalie may be good at analyzing men , she has a hard time assessing this guy and fails at coming on to him. Sevastyan didn't play by her games because he makes the rules.

Natalie didn't know he had been 'watching over her' for the past month and was hired by her real father, head of The Bratva (Russian Mafia) Pavel Kovalev, to be her bodyguard.

Rejected, alone and frustrated Natalie goes back to her house admitting there was something about that man. Thinking about him touching her while she takes a bath, suddenly is he standing in her bathroom doorway and she screams. He tells her to get dressed, pack a suitcase, cause he's taking her on a plane to Russia and those were his orders. I imagine Natalie wanted to call the cops because a strange man had broken into her house and was going to kidnap her but she doesn't do that. All she wants are answers and as soon as he mentions her father I guess that opened the channels of curiosity. She does get the wrong impression of her father though, but she was going to see for herself soon enough even if Sevastyan had to haul her over his shoulder. Being close to him like that was just one of the many perks she would enjoy besides being lavished with expensive clothes and jewelry.

When she runs from the car, he warns her that "If you run, I will catch you. It's what I do". On the plane she discovers how dominating Sevastyan is and how much it turns her on. Of course Sevastyan is very good at dishing out punishment but he doesn't want to hurt her .
I already knew Kresley Cole could write hot sexy romance novels but in The Professional we see the very dark and hard kind of erotic romance not intended for younger minds. I truly am lovin this series.

The Professional: Part 2

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Buy it on Audible 

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About the Author:

Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series and the young adult Arcana Chronicles. Since her first novel was released in 2003, Kresley has published twenty-one books with Simon & Schuster and has seen her releases translated into seventeen foreign languages. She has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings. Two of her favorite places to visit include the rain forests of Central America and the Queensland area of Australia. Cole’s trademark action, sensuality, and humor are exemplified in her popular Immortals After Dark Series, which revolves around the Lore, a secret stratum of hundreds of immortal creatures–ranging from Vampires to Lykae, Furies to Shifters, and Fey to Valkyrie–that each have their strengths, weaknesses, and age old prejudices against the others. Though they secretly live among humans, they constantly war among themselves, which gives her a lot of material. In 2007, Kresley won the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA award for best paranormal for her novel A Hunger Like No Other, and in January 2009, she became a #1 New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller with her sixth IAD installment, Kiss of a Demon King. In 2010, Kiss of a Demon King earned Kresley her second RITA award. 2011 brought Cole her second #1 NYT bestseller with Dreams of a Dark Warrior. In 2013, Kresley won a third RITA for Shadow’s Claim and was inducted as only the 14th member of the RWA Hall of Fame. She lives in Florida with her husband and far too many animals. She spends any free time traveling and enjoys all things related to boats and water.

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2014 Audio Book Challenge

 

Jennifer @thebooknympho and the girls over at Hot listens are hosting the 2014 Audiobook Challenge and are inviting us to join the challenge.

Reading Challenge Details: 

• Runs January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2014. You can join at anytime. 

• The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2014 than you did in 2013. 

• Books must be in audio format (CD, MP3, etc.) 

• ANY genres count. 

• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed. 

• You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Shelfari, Facebook, LibraryThing, etc. 

• If you’re a blogger grab the button and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. If you’re not a blogger you can help by posting on Facebook or Tweeting about the challenge. 

Levels: 

• Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5 
• Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10 
• Stenographer (can listen while multi-tasking) 10-15 
• Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20 
• Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30 
• My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+

As of 2013 I started listening to Audiobooks and recently got myself an iPod Shuffle. It's been a pleasure to listen to while I'm on the bus or taking a walk, once I figured out how to sync with iTunes. So I'm a bit technologically challenged when it comes to this stuff.

I use Audible and Overdrive primarily for all my Audiobooks.

The first thing you need to do for this challenge is decide which level you want to accomplish your goal at. It's similar to the 6 levels of Dantes Hell. lol j/k (I've never read the book) but having my earbuds surgically implanted is not going to happen! That's just gross :p

I could be on the safe side and listen to 1-5 audiobooks as a Newbie but that wouldn't be much of a challenge would it ? Because I've always been slow at comprehension I always feel I have to read along from a book but THAT is just way more expensive so even though I can borrow audiobooks from the library I think 15-20 is a good plan. That would be a Socially Awkward (Don't talk to me) level.


Here is what I plan on listening to...

Stephen Kings 11/22/63

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire . 

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Most of the Night Huntress Series by Jeaniene Frost

Soul Screamers Volume 2 & 3

That's all for now but I'll keep adding to the list as I go .