Coffee2words

Covering the same timeframe as Prince of Alasia, this story shows the reader how those left in the castle deal with the Malornian invasion and the evil Regent while the young Prince Jaymin remains hidden in the small country towns around Alasia.

If you've read Prince of Alasia, you know how that ends, and it ties in with this story well. It also leads quite nicely into the third book Prince of Malorn, which I haven't read yet, but I plan to in the future.

The protagonist in this book is a young girl, a commoner, and someone who is very wholesome and virginal. But she's not this shining beacon of all things women should be, Annie hasn't written her that way and for me, it worked brilliantly. She's a plucky young girl who shows great strength, cunning and nous. She gets things wrong, but she works hard to fix them and to do the best she can given her circumstances. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about a solid female character who wasn't a ditz and not an amazing amazon-like woman either. Anya read like a real little girl thrown into an amazingly difficult situation.

The supporting cast are wide and varied, including people from both sides of the invasion. I liked the character arcs for a number of them, and that while the Prince was a key point in the story, he didn't really feature as a character.

Full of spying, plotting and counter-plotting, In the Enemy's Service is a thoroughly enjoyable adventure young adult read. I feel it would be suitable for most children, with only a few minor instances of violence.

Riding the Dog takes its reader along for a rather intriguing ride. The nine short stories that are lovingly enveloped within the covers of this book are as distinct and unique as can be, but at the same time ring of a realism and honesty that many books fail to deliver.

The characters are viewed, warts and all, with nothing to hide from the reader. The character arcs in each short story are varied and interesting in their own way. Ranging from the recently returned soldier travelling home, to the 90-something year old man who barely has a grasp on reality anymore. These stories speak of tales that may not align with all reader experiences, but still draws them in.

The writing is flawless and depicts striking imagery and characters that truly shine off the page and into reality. And each short story had its own tone and voice of character that felt true to them.

Why this didn't get 5 stars from me, is simply that the stories didn't possess that WOW factor, they were great, but just a little short of perfection for me.

Still a thoroughly enjoyable read, one I would recommend to just about anyone.

**Note: I was provided an electronic copy of this book through the Awesome Indies Reviewer program.**

Blazing Obsession is a crime thriller that focuses on what happens when one gets obsessed with a person or an event and the lengths that person will go to, to see their obsession become a reality.

It's not a nice book, in fact, it's rather dark and depressing. The characters, particularly James, our protagonist, seem almost like exaggerated versions of real people. The good in Lynne (his wife) and how attractive she is, was amplified. The anger and hatred of men that Alisha exhibited seemed too extreme, too caricaturized.

The same can be said for James' private investigator friend, RP, he was too perfect, too private eye and was able to manipulate James and Alisha into doing anything he wanted them to.

The lengths that various characters went to in this book were extreme, and I mean extreme. So much so, that while I could understand why they'd go to that length, it felt unrealistic. Not to mention their amazing ability to not get caught doing these crazy things.

My issues with the unbelievable nature of the story aside, there were certainly a number of good points in the story. There was clearly quite a bit of research done to back up and form this story. The emotional connections between the characters were well formed and really did add a good strength to the story.

I liked Georgie's character and the small character arc he had. It was very fitting and believable. I also quite liked a number of the supporting cast including: Pat and Lynne's mother in particular.

Overall, this was an engaging read with lots of plot twists and fast paced action. It should appeal to crime and police procedural lovers, those who enjoy thrillers and murder mysteries and court drama lovers.

A few things I noticed:
20% - "Ok. We'll,(Well) we'll
23% - ...Frankie Richards, Nick(delete space)'s drug dealing...
76% - ...they've go(t) to go through...

**Note: I was provided an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

This is the first book by Lisa Regan I've read and I did rather enjoy it. If you like gritty police stories with brutal attackers and grimy horrific twists, then you will enjoy this book.

When our protagonist, Jocelyn, ends up in Emergency after rescuing her daughter from a car-jacking, she meets Anita, a woman who used to prostitute on the beat where Jocelyn used to work.

From this cracker of an opening, things spiral drastically out of control and Jocelyn finds herself woven into a wicked plot by some seriously unhinged people.

The crime side of this story was brilliant. I loved the gritty nature of the story writing and how realistic the victims were. They weren't polished Hollywood starlets; they were everyday women.

Where things got a bit dicey for me was some of the extra stuff added into the story.

The love interest was too perfect and convenient for me. It was classic insta-love and I felt it took something away from Jocelyn's character because of it. This is not to say that some of the scenes with Jocelyn's love interest weren't amusing (they were), but I felt like it wasn't really needed.

I felt really ripped off we didn't get to see one of the most important scenes in the story

instead the reader is told about it after it happens and it felt like the reader was cheated. I understand it was happening while another important scene was happening, but there could have been a way to show both.

Overall, I feel this was an enjoyable read with interesting plot and story ideas, but too many additional things were added which meant that some things had to take a back seat and it left me feeling like I missed out on seeing/witnessing key scenes.

If you like crime thrillers and aren't afraid to get yourself a little dirty in the process, then give this one a try.

**Note: I was provided an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Underwater really was too slow to start and the little momentum it built about 2/3 of the way in, just couldn't redeem the slow plodding pace.

Candace is our main female lead, and for once she was reasonably intelligent, a successful business woman and confident in herself... except when it came to dealing with her slime ball of a brother, Monty.

The sad thing is, Candace was too snobby and bitchy, she was too used to the finer things in life and I felt she had little depth to her character. I couldn't get close enough to her to like her, or feel anything for her. While what Monty was doing was horrible, I just couldn't connect.

Monty was an all round manipulative and sleazy character... which was a good thing, but the problem was, he was so horrible I felt nothing for him either. And while that's not necessarily a bad thing to have a character the reader hates, what happens at the end really was an anti-climax after so much manipulation and general horribleness on Monty's part.

Overall, the story had way too much day-to-day minutiae that it almost felt like I was at work. The reading became a chore and that's really a bad sign. Where three paragraphs were taken to describe the communications between Candace and her team of staff, really could have been explained in two sentences with the same result.

I won't rush to read anything else by the author, this was just too slow and too shallow for my tastes.

A few things I noticed:
20% - ...make him a (delete a) more of a...
25% - ...that she was (delete was) wouldn't be gifting...
58% - ...want to pay for more(delete more) any more work...

**Note: I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

Queen of Arlin should have been called: Annoying, whiney brat gets saved repeatedly by the cyborg.

Initially, I could understand Tassin's predicament. She's been left by her recently deceased father and must stand as Queen of Arlin, but she's only young (16 or 17) and has few allies to lean upon. This becomes even more dire when the three king's of the adjoining realms long to marry her and gain control of Arlin and all its land and wealth.

None of the three kings are suitable, and Tassin ends up having to flee her kingdom with a magical warrior (aka a cyborg) who has been charged with keeping her safe.

The adventure the two find themselves on, was quite interesting, the twists and turns that they were forced to take made for an intriguing tale. What really let it down for me was the sheer idiocy of Tassin. I hated her. Every time she opened her mouth I wanted to shake her. That the cyborg, Sabre, couldn't harm her was the only reason this book wasn't 50pages long.

Sabre himself was initially a boring character. When things changed and he started to develop a personality, I began to enjoy the story more, but alas, his slight personality was no match for my hatred of all things Tassin.

I felt that Tassin's petulance far outweighed even what the most stubborn of teens are capable of. It was gargantuan in proportion and as such has very firmly put me off picking up any of the next books.

A few things I noticed:
13% - ...great explosion went go(delete go) off in...
16% - A(t) least she was safe...
35% - "I could." And 15 lines below it are tabbed in.
There was another instance of this about 70-80% through.

What to say about In the Absence of Light?

Well, it is an action-packed story about Grant, who used to move stolen items for criminals, made his money and almost got caught by the FBI, but he bailed on that old life and wants to start somewhere new. He's set himself a time frame till he can touch his squirreled-away money and move to the beach.

So, he picks this little backwater town, Durstrand, to chill in for a few years but then something pretty special happens.

He meets Morgan.

Morgan is severely autistic, but still able to function quite well in his small town. He holds down a job, maintains his own house and has a select group of friends and family.

The two main characters are very well fleshed out and quite believable. I don't know if Morgan's autism is accurately portrayed, but it felt realistic to me. Someone with more experience with people with autism would be able to advise on that aspect of his character, but I felt it fit with his character and added something special to those moments when he did look into Grant's eyes.

Things become interesting when Grant is forced to face his prejudices about Morgan's autism. He makes some mistakes, but the depth of the emotions between the two characters is brilliant and swiftly outshines the negative in this relationship.

This book has some quite intense and explicit sex scenes, but they're rather sweet, even with their graphic nature. I wouldn't recommend this for people who don't like intense sex scenes between gay characters, nor, for those who want the perfect fairy-tale scenes either. These love scenes are realistic, flawed and even comical. I especially loved the drive-in scene :) But really, any of the sweet private moments between Grant and Morgan were lovely to read about. Some were exceptionally sexy, others gentle and touching enough to melt even the iciest heart.

The writing is at times so beautiful it's almost poetic, and at others harsh and gritty, which works well for the crime aspect of the story. But the biggest let down for this book is by far the lack of editing and the general unpolished feel to it.

I picked up issues almost every other page, which brought me out of the story and broke the spell Adrienne wove with those beautiful words. It's a shame really, because this is easily a 4-4.5 star book.

With a serious edit, I'd re-rate it to at least a 4 star read. Here's all the things I picked up:

4% - ...rustic and neatly arrange(d) around...
9% - ...enhanced by and (delete d) undertone of...
10% - Chapter 2 is tucked into the last para of chapter one.
14% - "If (I/we) book him he's more apt...
- ...why don't (you) tell him you're too tired...
17% - "Nope" needs its own line.
18% - She Quit (lowercase q) her job...
19% - ...for Morgan (to) meet my gaze...
24% - "Well, with (delete with) as built as you are...
26% - A low lean grown (growl)...
- ... Repositioned his knees until the(y) flanked...
27% - His hand moved (to) the side...
- ...put them on (on) his way to the door...
29% - ...convince (you) you're just going...
- ...wore white Tshirts (t-shirts) under...
30% - ...Morgan pushed (the) cart over...
33% - ...left to prove what'd (delete 'd) you('d) done...
- ...to touch me (in) other places...
37% - ...told Jeff what was (in) the file...
38% - ...except for (the) man I knew...
39% - ...I bare(ly) got a breath in...
40% - ...a few inches them(then) coming...
- ...dumped myself into(onto) the floorboard...
45% - If he did, he (and) I were going...
52% - His dop(e)y smile was...
54% - ...in long slow stroked (strokes) he...
56% - ...the repair job cause(d) by tune,...
58% - ...they got (the) moment they...
60% - ...him and tears my (my tears) soaked...
63% - ...at fault was mine (me).
64% - ...didn't even (have) an idea where...
- He'd thought I to(delete to) believed in him...
67% - He's he's(delete second he's) taken more than...
68% - ...tearing up someone one's (someone's) life...
70% - ...but Morgan didn't see things didn't just see things not there. He just saw things no one else could. (Fix duplicate words)
71% - ...Pandora 's(delete space) Box so real...
72% - ...to(o) close to home.
75% - ...the board wouldn(delete n) never...
86% - ...to know why (I) was going through...
88% - ...knocked his drink in(on) the floor...
90% - "Because those people are(delete) act normal."
91% - ...soul (sole) purpose...
- ...enough (to) feed his ego...
92% - Is that (t)he line of shit...
93% - ...compared to my(space).45.
94% - A(s)ton Matin
95% - ...was not apart(a part) of the plan.
- ...keep you as far away from(delete from, add as) possible from...
96% - ...to let you (know).
- ...that damn puppy (he) picked up.
97% - ...on (h)is finger...
- ...that bad.." (Delete second full stop) 99%
- ...once I get settle(d) to let...

**Note: I was provided an electronic copy of this book in return for an honest review**

This trilogy had me chomping at the bit, dying to read the next line, the next chapter and the next book.

Pacat's writing style is something of sheer beauty. It is simultaneously complex and yet utterly simplistic when it comes to understanding it. The layers of foreshadowing and deceit tangle together and create a cover of sorts over the fragile, yet fierce romance plot. I am in awe of it.

The story is a fitting conclusion to the trilogy and was everything and more than I'd hoped for to bring Damen and Laurent's quest to a close.

My favourite chapters included soft and touching ones, to those in the heat of battle. The same themes and plot thrumming through them which pulled me ever deeper into the tangled lives of the two young Royal protagonists.

I'm giving this 5 stars purely because of my joy of the story, but I must say, the editing of the kindle version was rather appalling for a big publishing house. There were a lot of missed spacing and punctuation. Sentences lumped together, and even a typo. I expected more from Penguin. I've experienced better from Indie authors and freelance editors.

To sum up, this has been one of the most invasive, addictive, delicious trilogies that I have ever read. I loved the characters like they were real people, and despite being sad that the story is over, I feel that the ending was appropriate and concluded the story well.

I look forward to reading anything else Pacat creates. Do yourself a favor, and buy these books today!

Prison Nation is a fantastic idea.

What would America be like if it sealed its boarders and the punishment for crimes (and even suspected crimes) became so harsh that the Nation needed massive prisons, large enough to house thousands and thousands of people?

You can find out, just by picking up this book.

Millie, our female protagonist experiences a significant personal journey throughout the book, but she does start out a little flat. I quite liked how things progressed, but I'd have liked a little more spunk from her early on.

The supporting cast was quite diverse, which was a welcome change from a lot of YA books, however, I was looking for a strong female role model for Millie and that was seriously lacking.

So, so far that's quite a lot of positives, so why only 3 stars?

Well, the writing isn't polished. There were a lot of adverbs and adjectives being used, a lot of scenes were overwritten, and could do with a cull, as well as quite a lot of repetition.

The formatting was also off, including sentences that ran together, missing words, added words, the spacing was off in parts and there were even some instances of homophone misuse!

With a hefty edit, this book would be a solid addition to the YA, Dystopian genre. As it is now, it's an enjoyable read, but it feels unpolished and a little rough around the edges.

**Note: I was provided an electronic copy of What Tomorrow May Bring, that included this book, in return for an honest review.**

This is the first of C.V Hunt's books I've read, and while it didn't knock my socks off, it was an easy and entertaining read. So I will be reading more.

Endlessly, the first book in a trilogy, and really does introduce you to an interesting world of paranormal beings.

Verloren, our male lead, is an old (and I mean old) vampire who parades around in the human world as a goth. Being a vampire in Hunt's world means being albino white, drinking blood and teaming up with werewolves to dispose of the bodies.

Ash, our female lead, is a bit of a nebulous being. At first we think she's human, then she's not, then she's something else and well, where things end up, well I was not expecting that at all.

The story was fast paced, perhaps a little too fast in the romance department, but I can't really complain about insta-love because it is explained and I guess I can kinda see why it happened the way it did.

Anyway, all in all, I didn't love this, nor hate it. It was a very quick read, an easy read and had likable characters moving through a quick plot. Things didn't drag, nor did they get too fast. The pacing was pretty much perfect.

I'd have liked a little more depth to the characters, but I think some of that might come in books 2 and 3. Well I can hope for that anyway.

One thing I noticed:

16% - ... Could open her pedals (petals) and bathe...

Oh boy! Back into the Emperor's Edge world with Amaranthe and Sicarius. I love these guys. I truly do.

I didn't think I could get enough of them, but the length of this book did start to drag a little, especially with all the hoo-haa about the plant. It seemed a bit excessive.

I loved the story and most of the little plot twists and turns, especially some of the more personal hurdles the characters had to overcome in this one. It was a bit of a nice change from all the blowing up and madness that usually follows Amaranthe and the crew.

I also love the cross over between Lindsay's Forgotten Ages series and I'm looking forward to the final book in the series.

This might not be one of the best in the series, but it's still enjoyable and amusing as well as entertaining and engaging for the most part.

One thing I noticed:

69% - "All (delete all, add Are) you all right?"

Lord Somerton's Heir is a distinctly deceitful historical romance piece. The splendor and opulence of the balls and propriety from the 1800s abounded and danced alluringly with the grit of wartime soldiers.

Sebastian Alder, a soldier, wounded in numerous ways, plays the male lead, alongside Isabel Somerton, the late Lord Somerton's widow.

There is a raft of supporting characters, ranging from Sebastian's siblings, to best friends and war-time buddies, to young stable hands. They create a delightful supporting cast to the romantic dance Isabel and Sebastian take together.

The plot progressed slowly, twists and turns abound, some obvious and others not. The mystery and intrigue within this tale was masterfully weaved into larger and smaller plot and character arcs, and added additional layers of complexity to an otherwise tried-and-true historical romance plot.

An enjoyable romp through the 1800s, Lord Somerton's Heir will take readers on just as much of a journey as Sebastian and Isabel take.

Inked is a 26 page erotic short story. It's pretty much a couple of scenes between a woman who gets a tattoo and the tattoo artist that gives it to her.

It's not a bad idea or necessarily a bad story, the characters are reasonable - if a little flat, but one expects that of titillation reads - but the execution was what killed it for me. There was some very basic writing things wrong with this, things like a lot of adverbs and adjectives that did nothing for the story. Also, there was a lot of repetition of the same words, a poor grasp on moving past the most basic sexual references and a lot of the content was cliche and has been done to death in the erotic industry.

I wouldn't bother with this one if you can't look past the above mentioned flaws, if you're keen for a super quick read that's reasonable (but does include anal on the first 'date'), give this a try.

Things I noticed:
27% - ...her curly blond(e) hair...
60% - ...tightened as she as (delete she as) Brody...
64% - ...kissed his was (delete s, replace with y) slowly...
69% - repetition of 'ever growing pile of clothes'. Reword.
- repetition of 'skilled mouth'.
- repetition of 'moist opening'
- "(delete space)Come for me" also put dialogue onto a new line.
-...chocked - replace with choked
73% - dialogue on new line.
- "Oh God." she(capitalise the s)
78% - "(delete space)Come for me...
83% - ...such as (delete as, replace an) intimate spot...
-...causing the tip (of) Brody's finger (to) penetrate...
87% - ...slowly plunge(d) further...
- accustom(ed)
92% - ...was great." she(capitalise s)...

Drakhom Taboo II is a short erotic story that showcases a strong, independent and successful woman trying to make it in a new job.

Bianca started off as a great character, but her desire to take Devon down a peg really started to bother me. It seemed so childish.

Anyway, the sex was nothing new. It felt like I was reading any number of other erotic books, vanilla, too perfect fucking, couched in overly-flowery prose. Oh and I caught a pretty amusing issue at 92%.

I'll read #3, but maybe in a few months.

A few things I noticed:

52% Bianca smiled. " (delete space)Certainly."
70% "(delete space)Care to come over...
92% - how exactly does a man, even a Drakhom, get his cock into her womb? And how is it clenching him?? Anatomy 101 people.

Well, this 45 page book certainly got my attention.

Psychics, clairvoyants, demons, witches and call girls all writhe about in the sinful city of Las Vegas around our protagonist Aden. Aden sees patterns and had an uncanny ability to sense things about people, like when they're lying or about to die.

Aden and his two best friends end up getting involved with the alluring stranger and things start to get dicey.

A nice mix of paranormal and mystery, this is a short opening to the Glamour Stone Series.

This is the lowest I've rated one of Tony's pieces. I have read 16 of his novels and short stories, but this one just irritated me to no end. It wasn't even the story, that was really interesting and I think would have got 4 stars if it weren't for the repetitive narration of the child.

I just couldn't get over the repetitiveness and the random capitalisation of words like 'Get Mad' or 'For My Own Good'. I wanted to fix them, and it just threw me right out of the story.

This might be a perfect little tale for you if you're not as sensitive to editing as I am.