Book Review: Silver Bastard by Joanna Wylde

Silver Bastard 
(Silver Valley Series,  #1)
by Joanna Wylde
Narrated by: Allyson Ryan, Johnathan McClain

Blurb: 

First in the new Silver Valley series from the New York Times bestselling author of the Reapers Motorcycle Club Novels 

Fourteen months. For fourteen months, Puck Redhouse sat in a cell and kept his mouth shut, protecting the Silver Bastards MC from their enemies. Then he was free and it was time for his reward—full membership in the club, along with a party to celebrate. That’s when he saw Becca Jones for the first time and set everything in motion. Before the night ended he’d violated his parole and stolen her away from everything she knew.

Five years. It was five years ago that Puck destroyed Becca and saved her all in one night. She’s been terrified of him ever since, but she’s even more terrified of the monsters he still protects her from... But Becca refuses to let fear control her. She’s living her life and moving forward, until she gets a phone call from the past she can't ignore. She has to go back, and there’s only one man she can trust to go with her—the ex-con biker who rescued her once before.

Puck will help her again, but this time it’ll be on his terms. No more lies, no more tears, and no more holding back what he really wants...

Available for purchase at 

         

Viviana's Review: 

A spinoff series from the Reapers series, reader will enjoy Silver Valley Series just as much!  A bunch of badass hot guys who ride bikes!

Readers met the Pack in “Reaper’s Stand” but they won’t be lost if this is the first time you pick up a Joanna Wylde book.  Puck is a loyal man who is not one to be messed with.  Recently released from prison he finds himself in a situation that can send him right back.

For Becca, he may not be her knight in shining armor, but he did rescue her from a horrible situation when she was 16 years old.  Five years have passed and she can’t forget him nor the night they spent together.

Puck has spent the last five years ensuring Becca is and stays safe and in his mind that has meant away from him as well.  As with any good story, events unfold that give them no choice but to come together.

I really enjoyed this story and how Puck’s and Becca’s relationship develops!  Part of the drama/problem between them was Becca’s willingness to talk to Puck about her issues/problems with her “family” and considering her history and the fact that Puck has always had her best interest in mind is a bit messed up.  Additionally a major “issue” could have been avoided altogether.

Narrator Review:

Both did a great job with the narration and the character's tone, voices and personalities.


Overall, a great start to a new series and I can’t wait until the next book!

Rating: 4 Stars - Loved It

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from PENGUIN GROUP Berkley NAL / Signet in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Audio Book Review: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

City of Heavenly Fire 
(The Mortal Instruments #6)
by Cassandra Clare

Blurb: 
In this dazzling and long-awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary's own brother.

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.

The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?

When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...

Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments!

Available for purchase at 

      

Viviana's Review:

This will be a quick review... this should have been a DNF for me. It dragged. The series should have finished with book 3. However, I'm now trying to figure out if it was the story itself or the narrators that made it worse? Perhaps it was a mix. The story dragged because there were just too many details. It was definitely a lot of "filler" and "oh let's make it longer by adding a scene that isn't needed"
So why did I continue reading/listening? Because I wanted to see how it ended. How did they end up tying up all the loose ends? When the end finally did come, I did the happy dance! No lie. I don’t think I ever did the happy dance for a book to be over. That made me sad. It wasn’t because it was a bad or terrible book. It was just too damn long. It wasn’t necessary.

The series is over… though there is a new spin off starting next year. This is part of the reason why this book was so long… it was a set up for the spin off as we were introduced to those characters.
The narrators seemed to have been bored. They read with no emotion nor did they seem to want to perform for the readers. There were moments where they seemed to perk up, but again those were moment and they were rare.

Overall, again, this was a series that could have ended like three books ago. It was well written but it was too long and it dragged. Additionally, if the narrators would have been more alive I think the feeling of it being “too long” and “dragging” wouldn’t have been so in your face.

Rating: 2 Stars - It was Okay

Audio Book Review: Stinger by Mia Sheridan

Stinger
by Mia Sheridan 
Narrated by: Maxine Mitchell and  Brian Pallino

Blurb: 
Grace Hamilton was the girl with a plan. She knew exactly where her life was going and prided herself on always achieving her goals. It was who she was, and how she lived her life. She never stepped outside the lines, and never considered what she might desire and whom she was actually trying so hard to please. Until him…

Carson Stinger was a man who didn't play by any rules except his own. Working in the adult entertainment industry, he didn't care what others thought, and took each day as it came, no direction, no plan. He knew what women wanted from him and believed it was all he had to offer. Until her…

When circumstances forced them to spend several hours together, they walked away changed. But for two people who never should have meshed, overcoming the reality of their vastly different lives wasn't possible. At least not yet…

THIS IS A STAND-ALONE NOVEL. The first two books in the series need not be read to enjoy this book. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Available for purchase at 

      

Viviana's Review: 

This is the first book I read by Mia Sheridan. The blurb was intriguing but it was the audio sample that made me want to read this book! That audio clip is a perfect sample of what readers have to look forward to in both the story and the narrators. The hero and heroine are both smart and sarcastic. She’s witty! He’s extremely gifted in making just about anything into a sexual innuendo. Their bantering is awesome! Their conversation and interaction with each other truly drives the story forward. It’s what hooked me. Otherwise, I don’t think I would have picked up a book about a porn star… I mean … really? This seems to be the start of a new trend… porn star that will turn a new leaf or no longer work in the industry because he met ‘the one’. Yet, in “Stinger” the author does a fantastic job in making the reader forget that aspect of the hero. It’s more about the characters themselves. 

The story is divided into two parts… when Carson and Grace first met and then five years later. The vibe of the first half is very light, carefree, and very “new adult” while the second half is the complete opposite. I would say the second half reads more like a contemporary with elements of romantic suspense. This was an interesting divide, but it makes sense for the story because of the characters. 

There were some tropes or issues that are in many other books like “if they would have just talked” or “if he would have just gone up to her instead of assumed”, some things could have been avoided but then again, there wouldn’t have been a story to tell, right? 

I loved Carson from the very beginning. Sarcastic, quick wit and self-confident. He’s also funny! Sweet and has a lot of love to give but just doesn’t know he’s worth being loved. 

Narrators Review: 

Both Maxine and Brian did an excellent job telling their part of the story. Each provided unique tones and voices to the different characters. They each brought the characters to life. 

Overall a great listen/read and one that makes you look into the other books in the series. Though classified as a New Adult, the characters are 23 yrs old when the story begins but are 28ish when the story ends (see this is why I don’t LIKE the sub-genre of new adult… adult is an adult is an adult). So if you have something against the new adult genre or are just not fond of it, give this one  chance, you won’t be sorry. I’ll be checking out the rest of the books in the series as I’m curious! 

Rating: 4 Stars - Loved It

Disclaimer: 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Audible Studios in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Audio Book Review: Brighter Than the Sun by Darynda Jones

Brighter Than the Sun 
(Charley Davidson Series,  #8.5)
by Darynda Jones 
Narrated by Lorelei King

Blurb: 
All his life, Reyes Alexander Farrow has suffered the torments of the damned. Only one thing has given him hope: the woman who radiates a light that no mortals can see; a light that only the departed can see...

Told from his point of view, BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN chronicles the first time Reyes ever encountered Charley, and how their relationship has been the one thing that can either save him or doom him.

Available for pre-order at 

            

Viviana's Review:

I love the Charley Davidson series. I love Darynda Jones’s writing style and her ways with words. She is truly a gifted writer that not only allows the readers to escape into the world she has created but she has you falling for all the characters! I also love that Lorelei King is the narrator for this series. She brings an additional dimension to each of the character and breathes life into them. 

With all that said, it’s extremely important for the readers of BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN to know that this is an extremely dark novella.  In fact, upon receiving the book to review, I also received the warning that it was much darker than any of the previous books in the series. Also, there seems to be a misconception that it’s ‘dark’ because he’s the ‘son of Satan’ but that’s not the case. For those that have read the series, remember that his lineage is one thing, but he makes a conscientious decision to love and protect Charley and he creates the plan where he can be with Charley. Sadly, things don’t work out the way he planned. Unfortunately, we (readers of the series) already know some of the monstrosities that Reyes endured as a child. This is in Reyes’s POV and it’s his story. 

I’ve always wanted to know more about how Reyes and his past and now we get to learn this and much more. We meet him as a child and get his perspective of events that occurred to him as a child, teenager, and then adult. We learn how he first meets Charley and his thoughts on things. We also get to see Reyes fall in love with Charley. We see Charley through his eyes! We also learn some of the tragedies and heartaches she’s been through. Readers get to see and know the reason he is the way he is. It was heartbreaking to listen/read Reyes go through things no child/person should ever have to go through. Darynda glosses over things but does a phenomenal job of making an emotional impact on the reader without the details. 

When I first learned that the novella was going to be in audio book format I was extremely happy and on pins and needles waiting to see if the publisher would select a new narrator, a male, since this is from Reyes’s POV or if they would keep Lorelei. Personally, I wanted them to keep Lorelei! I believe she is a great narrator and does a beautiful job with the series and each of the characters. I couldn’t image anyone else as Reyes. With such a sensitive topic as Reyes’s past, I also didn’t want someone new to the ‘family’ if you can understand that.  Lorelei does an amazing job with BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN! 

The readers will love this addition to the series and it was great to see Reyes’s love for Charley and get to see a different side of Reyes we haven’t seen until now. We saw how much of an awesome friend he is and a loving brother as well. And how much of a survivor he is as well. Again, readers will need to be prepared for this isn’t like the other books, it’s much darker and you may even need tissues.  

Rating: 5 Stars - Perfection

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Book Review: Brave the Heat by Sara Humphreys

Brave the Heat
(The McGuire Brothers Series, #1)
by Sara Humphreys
Narrated by: Kate Russell

Blurb:
The only fire he can’t put out…

Jordan McKenna is back in town, and Fire Chief Gavin Maguire’s feelings when he sees her after all these years are as raw as the day she left. Then he was just a kid wearing his heart on his sleeve. Now he spends every day trying to atone for the tragedy he couldn’t prevent.

Is the torch he carries for her...

Jordan’s life has not exactly worked out the way she expected. A divorced mother of two with a failed acting career, Jordan’s biggest concern about coming back to Old Brookfield was seeing her first love. But when a series of suspicious fires breaks out, Jordan and Gavin realize that dealing with the sparks between them may be the least dangerous of their problems.

Available for purchase at 

               

Viviana's Review:

This is the author's first contemporary romance and it was lovely. A story about coming homing and second changes at not only love, but starting over in life in general and also about forgiveness. It was excellently executed with characters that are memorable and lovable, secondary characters that help move the story along and you'll want to have their own story as well as a villain that you can't wait for Karma to get a hold of.   

Jordan returns home after running away 15 years ago with two small girls in tow. Life hasn't been what she expected and while it's stated that her "habit of bad decision making" has brought her to this point, I think its the character being too hard on herself. Life happens and she made a decision when she was 18 thinking it would be a good one and technically it was. She wanted to get away from the abusive father! However, that same decision made her run away from the one man she has truly loved. I'm sure you know its a matter of "if they would have only talked". She then finds a man she thinks will love her and she will be able to love in return and have a life together. She (as many woman in real life) didn't know going into it exactly who he was and what his issues were until it was to late. I will say though, she had the courage to leave and have a better life for her and her daughters. Others like her own mother stayed. It's a topic that is briefly discussed but I did like the fact that it was brought up how some think leaving/divorcing is the "bad" choice vs. staying. 

Gavin is the town's Fire Chief and is extremely dedicated to team and town's safety. We find out that he doesn't date much and is a horrible cook, lol. I laugh because considering he gets to cook for his crew three nights a week, YIKES! While I wouldn't necessarily say he's been pining away for Jordan, it's obvious that she's the one that "got away" and that while he's dated, no other compares to her so.... you can image he's caught off guard when he bumps into her upon her return. He had no idea she had moved back into town. While he had been keeping tabs on her a bit via a mutual friend, it wasn't invasive or creepy like that. However, there are a few things he still needs to discover...

That's the other thing I enjoyed about this book... there are things that both the Hero and Heroine find out throughout the book that would usually happen via a confrontation between the H/h but Sara switch things around and had them each find out via another method allowing the characters time to sit on the new info and think about what to do next! Or how stupid they were at the time!

OMG, Gavin's parents are not only adorable, but you'll want to hang out with them! They are just awesome. The interaction between the two of them is what you'll want and hope for after 40 years of marriage and Gavin's reaction to it is perfect. Also, a bit of an interesting twist is that while this series is "The McGuire Brothers" we really don't get to know the brothers at all in this book. We get to meet them briefly towards the end. Usually, in a series like this, there a bit more interaction to have the readers get to know the brothers so we'd fall for them and want to grab the next book. However, Sara dedicated the majority of the time to Jordan and Gavin and it works. I will say, that in this case, less was definitely more.

The story was sweet! There is very little cursing, but when it happens it's meant to and fits the character and situation. As for the steaminess... there is a lot of sexual tension between Jordan and Gavin when they are next to each other and the scenes were nicely writing. The dialog going on in Jordan's head is hilarious! And when they finally do get "together" it's hot, steamy and sexy!

Sara provided some a few breath of fresh air what are traditional romance tropes that have been overly done. Even the mystery of of "who done it" was well done as I had no clue and would have never suspected that individual. WELL DONE!  This was truly a great start to Sara contemporary romance genre writing and I can't wait to read the next book in the series!!

Narrator's Review: I really enjoyed Kate's narration. She did an awesome job with the female and children characters.  However, when it came to the male characters, she tended to give them a more silly tone or as if everything they said ended in a question pitch. It seemed she was trying to give Gavin a deeper tone/voice than the rest to make him stand out but it wasn't working. At times it was fine but other it sounded a bit force. I wished she would have just used a lower range of her own voice because it would have worked better than what it was. What I really did enjoy is that Kate provided a different tone/voice to each of the female character that was their own and you knew who was speaking based on that voice. Also, it wasn't forced. It's as if the characters were right there in front of you having the conversation. 

 Rating: 3.5 Stars - REALLY Liked It

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Audio Book Review: Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Infinity 
(Chronicles of Nick Series, Bk  #1)
by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Blurb: 
At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he's next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

Available for purchase at 

         

Viviana's Review: 

How I came across this series is interesting. SWAG.  I was going through my tupperware of swag and found a Chronicles of Nick sling bag.  Didn’t recognize the name of the series so I looked it up. After researching it, I gave it to my 12 year old daughter who “doesn’t like to read” and told her she should check it out, as the protagonist is a 14 year old guy who apparently is very sarcastic.  Her adventure with this series is another story.  Mine begins with the audiobook.

This was a complete breath of fresh air!  Oh, and for a YA, little angst.  Thank you!  Loved Nick!  He was a great mix of smartass and sarcastic that at times I wondered “you sure you’re 14?” and then I’d smile.  Love him! He handle things rather well as he discovers things like the supernatural do exist.  

The other characters we get introduced to are awesome as well. To think this is sort of a pre-qual to the "The Dark-Hunterverse" which makes me uber excited! This is one of the reasons why I'm starting with this series vs. "The Dark-Hunterverse". You want to get the next installment so you learn more about all the characters!

The story's pace had a good mix of action that got the heart pumping and then going more into a steady slow down. The pace gives the reader a good balance that we like that keeps us wanting more.

Overall, a great read that makes you want to grab the next installment to find out what happens to the characters you just befriends! 

Rating: 5 Stars - Perfection

Audio Book Review: Eighth Grave After Dark by Darynda Jones

Eighth Grave After Dark
(Charley Davidson Series, Book #8)
by Darynda Jones

Blurb: 
With twelve hellhounds after her, pregnant Charley Davidson takes refuge at the only place she thinks they can’t get to her: the grounds of an abandoned convent. But after months of being cooped up there, Charley is ready to pop. Both metaphorically and literally since she is now roughly the size of a beached whale. Fortunately, a new case has captured her attention, one that involves a murder on the very grounds the team has taken shelter upon. A decades-old murder of the newly-vowed nun she keeps seeing in the shadows is almost enough to pull her out of her doldrums.

Charley’s been forbidden to step foot off the sacred grounds. While the angry hellhounds can’t traverse the consecrated soil, they can lurk just beyond its borders. They have the entire team on edge, especially Reyes. And if Charley didn’t know better, she would swear Reyes is getting sick. He grows hotter with every moment that passes, his heat scorching across her skin every time he’s near, but naturally he swears he’s fine.

While the team searches for clues on the Twelve, Charley just wants answers and is powerless to get them. But the mass of friends they’ve accrued helps. They convince her even more that everyone in her recent life has somehow been drawn to her, as though they were a part of a bigger picture all along. But the good feelings don’t last for long because Charley is about to get the surprise of her crazy, mixed-up, supernatural life….

Available for purchase at 

         

Viviana's Review: 
Oh how I eagerly waited to get my hands on this.  Debated between the need to read it as soon as I had it in my hands or wait until closer to the release of the next book… Why?  Such an awesome story leaves you wanting more and the waiting can be a killer - so it is a matter of deciding on which type of waiting you want to endure?