tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12148057702437471342024-02-02T18:16:55.443-05:00Winter Readingvv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-14840431584541857542022-11-05T21:50:00.001-04:002022-11-05T21:50:11.053-04:00Slightly Married (Bedwyn Saga #1) by Mary Balogh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img class="ResponsiveImage" height="200" role="presentation" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403178352i/110295.jpg" width="123" /> </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Slightly Married Summary:</b></div><p></p><p><span> </span>Meet the Bedwyn: six brothers and sisters—men and women of passion and privilege, daring and sensuality…Enter their dazzling world of high society and breathtaking seduction, where each will seek love, fight temptation, and court scandal and where Aidan Bedwyn, the marriage-shy second son, discovers that matrimony may be the most seductive act of all.<br /><br /><span> </span>Like all the Bedwyn men, Aidan has a reputation for cool arrogance. But this proud nobleman also possesses a loyal, passionate heart—and it is this fierce loyalty that has brought Colonel Lord Aidan to Ringwood Manor to honor a dying soldier's request. Having promised to comfort and protect the man's sister, Aidan never expected to find a headstrong, fiercely independent woman who wants no part of his protection... nor did he expect the feelings this beguiling creature would ignite in his guarded heart. And when a relative threatens to turn Eve out of her home, Aidan gallantly makes her an offer she can't refuse: marry him... if only to save her home. And now, as all of London breathlessly awaits the transformation of the new Lady Aidan Bedwyn, the strangest thing happens: With one touch, one searing embrace, Aidan and Eve's “business arrangement” is about to be transformed into something slightly surprising.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Slightly Married Review:</b></p><p><span> </span>I loved this book so much! To me, it is the embodiment of what a good romance should be; a slow romance, interesting characters, and enough drama to keep the story engaging. However, the characters are the real draw. Just like every other Mary Balogh book, her characters are original and the way that they are written on the pages differentiates them. Eve appears first as the Mary Sue type but is written to be strong and independent. She is incredibly confident in whom she loves and protects and makes no apologies because she comes from a lower class. In an era of overly traumatized or aggressively independent female characters, I loved that she was independent and had faced hardships, yet her personality was more than that. Aidan was the same. He easily fell into the cold male lead; however, learning about his past and showing him progress into a man open to love was amazing. The progression was slow and wasn't just because of Eve's love, which I truly appreciate. Likewise, the other Bedwyn characters were different and there is a lot of space to develop them in their stories. <br /> </p><p>The story itself, EVERYTHING worked. The progression from two characters coming together and falling in love by the end was realistic. The side characters supported and added drama when needed, but it never went over the top. There were very few sex scenes, which I appreciate because that means there is more time for plot development. And those sweet scenes, like going on a picnic or when Aidan was teaching the kids to swim, fit perfectly into the story. Overall, a 5-star read and a 5-star read even after being re-read many times.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p><br /></p>vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-1703608389964690042020-08-08T01:47:00.005-04:002020-08-08T01:47:58.872-04:00Devil in Winter (Wallflowers #3) <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309220205l/114166.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Devil in Winter (Wallflowers, #3)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1309220205l/114166.jpg" width="124" /></a><u><b>Devil in Winter Summary: </b></u><br />
<span id="freeText12919426220351949593"><b>A Devil's Bargain</b><br /><br />Easily
the shyest Wallflower, Evangeline Jenner stands to become the
wealthiest, once her inheritance comes due. Because she must first
escape the clutches of her unscrupulous relatives, Evie has approached
the rake Viscount St. Vincent with a most outrageous proposition: <i>marriage!</i><br /><br />Sebastian's
reputation is so dangerous that thirty seconds alone with him will ruin
any maiden's good name. Still, this bewitching chit appeared, <i>unchaperoned</i>, on his doorstep to offer her hand. Certainly an aristocrat with a fine eye for beauty could do far worse.<br /><br />But Evie's proposal comes with a condition: no lovemaking after their wedding night. She will <i>never</i>
become just another of the dashing libertine's callously discarded
broken hearts—which means Sebastian will simply have to work harder at
his seductions... or perhaps surrender his own heart for the very first
time in the name of true love.</span>
<br />
<u><b><br /></b></u>
<u><b>Devil in Winter Review: </b></u></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> I initially read this book, and absolutely loved it. But re-reading It Happened One Autumn, framed St. Vincent differently. I love when authors create characters that push the boundaries of morality and try and make the audience sympathize with them because it pushes us to understand the reason behind their actions. However, St. Vincent's reasoning was hard to grasp and his actions were wrong. Ms. Kleypas did try and give some back story into him, but it was just a short sentence. It didn't really reveal his personality as much as it needed to. Usually, the Wallflower and Hathaway books don't focus too much on the past, a lot is spent on developing their future relationships. This works for everyone else; however, St. Vincent needed to be redeemed. A hint of the past is not enough to prove that St. Vincent is intrinsically a good person and deserves forgiveness.<br /> </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> St. Vincent, without context, was your typical rake. He was arrogant, good-looking, great at making money and just living up to that stereotype. Not that it's a bad thing, especially in romance! It's just that Evie's past was explored so much more, and St. Vincent's was glossed over when he needed the most exposure. As a standalone, he was a classic book boyfriend, as a continuation of a series he was lacklustre. There was a moment where St. Vincent apologized for his actions, but he only did "on screen" to Westcliff, not Lillian. The person that he kidnapped and assaulted! In that regard, the book felt unfinished. And his actions tainted every part of the book. He came off as over-aggressive, especially with his language towards Evie in the beginning, too masculine, too arrogant, etc. The bullet wound was a nice touch, but it just wasn't enough. I'm going to keep repeating this, had it been any other series, this book would have been spectacular! It was why I loved it before I re-read It Happened One Autumn through a new perspective. Reading Devil in Winter before It Happened One Autumn definitely reads better. <br /> <br /> On the other hand, Evie was a sweetheart throughout the novel. Her going from a blushing, shy girl to a confident woman was amazing to see. It was a slow progression, and the book ends with room for more growth. I would have loved to read even more about her life and her journey. And her backbone! From the very beginning, she was so strong; it's so interesting to see a heroine that isn't upfront about her strength. She knows when to push for something and when to back down, especially after Lillian and so many of the Urban Fantasy novels, it was refreshing. In terms of side characters, Cam was interesting. Daisy and Annabelle were great to see as well!<br /> <br />Overall this was a 2-start read, but it used to be a five. <u><b><br /></b></u></div>vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-15204574303285894762020-06-19T22:52:00.002-04:002020-06-21T23:31:43.850-04:00It Happened One Autumn (Wallflowers #2) <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388206425l/827412.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="It Happened One Autumn (Wallflowers, #2)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388206425l/827412.jpg" width="116" /></a><u><b>It Happened One Autumn Summary: </b></u><br />
<span id="freeText10953703723107508931"><b>It happened at the ball...</b><br /><br />Where
beautiful but bold Lillian Bowman quickly learned that her independent
American ways weren't entirely "the thing." And the most disapproving of
all was insufferable, snobbish, and impossible Marcus, Lord Westcliff,
London's most eligible aristocrat.<br /><br /><b>It happened in the garden...</b><br /><br />When
Marcus shockingly—and dangerously—swept her into his arms. Lillian was
overcome with a consuming passion for a man she didn't even like. Time
stood still; it was as if no one else existed... thank goodness they
weren't caught very nearly in the act!<br /><br /><b>It happened one autumn...</b><br /><br />Marcus
was a man in charge of his own emotions, a bedrock of stability. But
with Lillian, every touch was exquisite torture, every kiss an
enticement for more. Yet how could he consider taking a woman so
blatantly unsuitable... as his bride?</span><br />
<u><b><br /></b></u>
<u><b>It Happened One Autumn Review: </b></u></div><i><b>I wanted to start by writing a trigger warning for this book due to instances of rape and assault. I also wanted to say that there will be spoilers in this review. <br /></b></i><br /><span> </span>This book is hard to finish. From their first intimate encounter, a precedent is set for the rest of their meetings. It also states, quite adamantly, that when a woman says no, it actually means yes because she secretly wants it. Throughout the novel, there is a push and pull relationship between, which does have its funny moments. The rounders game where Lillian tackles Westcliff was funny and reframed their previously, antagonistic relationship. However, for many of the events, Lillian comes off childish and Westcliff appears domineering. Luckily, whenever the secondary characters showed up, the story became a lot more interesting. Lillian and Daisy's antics were especially fun to read about. This will be further explained below, but the progression of their love story is tainted by their intimate encounters. Below, I discuss three instances where the men's behaviour was either rape or assault. Most readers believe that these three events were passionate and sexy, in a good way. But I will try and explain my stance on why these actions were wrong. <br /><br /><span> </span>The first time that they kiss, which is very early on in the book, Westcliff ends up kissing Lillian three times. She repeatedly tries to push Westcliff off and says no. But based on the perfume she wears, he was to over come to listen to her. And she responded during the first so she must have wanted it to continue. For me, this appears similar to people under the influence who exhibit poor behaviour; however, a perfume's scent can hardly be equal to an intoxication. There are more factors than just someone's attraction, such as their comfort level which are important to consider in any interaction. Especially, somewhere as restrictive as the Victorian society. <br /><br /><span> </span>Then there is the first sex scene. Westcliff has walked just in on Lillian drinking brandy until she is drunk. Westcliff himself states, "[s]he was foxed, staggering, tap-hackled, top-heavy, shot-in-the-neck, staggering drunk". Its hilarious, and Lillian adds to this with her actions. Westcliff further comments that starting anything sexual with her, no matter how flirty she may act, would be wrong and taking advantage of her disposition. Nonetheless, Westcliff reaches a certain where he can no longer control himself. He can no longer handle Lillian's drunk advances anymore and decides to have sex with her. Now, many readers say that Lillian was asking for it or that she wanted it. However, she was not in control of her facilities during this time...BEING DRUNK. To contrast her drunkness, Westcliff is stone-cold sober during the entire interaction. Additionally, he has a larger sexual knowledge than Lillian does because women are kept innocent until marriage. Both St. Vincent and Westcliff describe Lillian as such. So Westcliff can think both clearly and has a greater understanding of what is coming next. He should be acting as her guide; instead, he becomes her rapist. This is rape. She can't give her consent because she is intoxicated which means that this is non-consensual sex or rape. It doesn't matter how much she wants it, as stated before there are multiple factors other than their physical attraction to warrant an intimate event. This was a disgusting scene and it made the next scene, where he cleans her up after forcibly stripping of her blanket, even worse. <br /><br /><span> </span>The final incident includes St. Vincent and Lillian, not Westcliff. St. Vincent has captured Lillian in a stupid kidnapping scheme to force her to marry him because he is severely in debt. Nothing in this book explains this random behavioural change in St. Vincent and the only reason it is likely here it to create a redemption arc for him in the next novel and create a climactic end. The kidnapping leads to Lillian tied up on a bed, where St. Vincent opens her dress and gropes her breast. And the book highlights that she turns away her head in discomfort and shame. This event by itself would not be problematic because it is quite clear that it is sexual assault. However, St. Vincent is the hero of the next book <i>Devil in Winter</i>, and the novel (as well as the next one) states that the main problem was actually stealing Westcliff's girl. It never labels St. Vincent as an assaulter. Especially telling is the conversation in the next book where Evie boldly states that St. Vincent could have never raped Lillian; however, his incredibly aggressive behaviour in this novel shows otherwise. More on that in the next review. <br /><br /><span> </span>While this novel was great the first few times I read it because I, like many other readers, either ignored the scenes or assumed that it was what normal love looked like. Now, I know better and this novel makes me uncomfortable just thinking about it. I'm not passing judgement on those that continue to enjoy the novel, this is a work of fiction. Nonetheless, it is important to understand the underlying issues. <br /><br /><span> </span>This brings me to my next point, which is becoming more apparent through Ms. Kleypas' novels. The heroes seem unduly aggressive. For example, Simon from the previous novel grabs and kisses Annabelle without her permission. Additionally, whenever there is a sex scene, the heroines are described using words such as helpless or use actions such as crying or quiver. Not only is that kinda weird in general, but its also uncomfortable when paired with the "manly" way the heroes are described. It is important to note that Simon and Mathew (<i>Scandal in Spring</i>) are quite nice as heroes and there many attempts to place them on equal footing to the heroines. <br /><br />Overall, the novel is a 1-star read.<br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"></div>
vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-51816836860690395992020-05-18T01:26:00.003-04:002020-05-18T01:29:33.337-04:00Secrets of a Summer Night (Wallflowers #1)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1298443922l/114162.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Secrets of a Summer Night (Wallflowers, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1298443922l/114162.jpg" width="124" /></a><u><b>Secrets of a Summer Night Summary: </b></u><br />
<span id="freeText14654978266735130273">Four young ladies enter
London society with one common goal: they must use their feminine wit
and wiles to find a husband. So a daring husband-hunting scheme is born.<br /><br />Annabelle
Peyton, determined to save her family from disaster, decides to use her
beauty and wit to tempt a suitable nobleman into making an offer of
marriage. But Annabelle's most intriguing--and persistent--admirer,
wealthy, powerful Simon Hunt, has made it clear that while he will
introduce her to irresistible pleasure he will not offer marriage.
Annabelle is determined to resist his unthinkable proposition . . . but
it is impossible in the face of such skillful seduction.<br /><br />Her
friends, looking to help, conspire to entice a more suitable gentleman
to offer for Annabelle, for only then will she be safe from Simon--and
her own longings. But on one summer night, Annabelle succumbs to Simon's
passionate embrace and tempting kisses . . . and she discovers that
love is the most dangerous game of all.</span>
<br />
<u><b><br /></b></u>
<u><b>Secrets of a Summer Night Review: </b></u><span> <br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span><span> </span>This is one of my all-time favourite books; I re-read this book almost once a month! The characters are witty and complex, the story is whimsical and the book just leaves you with a joyful feeling in the end. Secrets of a Summer Night is a typical historical romance, which means that all loose ends are tied and it leaves you eagerly awaiting the next book. However, its characters and story make it stand out amongst the cliches.<br /><br /> Secrets of a Summer Night starts off by showing the financial struggles and strong will of Annabeth. It also establishes the alluring and magnetic personality of Simon, when he comes to their aid to pay for the play tickets. The connection between the two is instantaneous after they share a smouldering moment (to borrow a phrase from Ms. Kleypas). From there the romance slowly transformed from lust into love in a spectacular way. And it mirrored the transformation of Annabeth from a toughened, prejudiced noblewomen into a softened, knowledgeable middle-class woman. On the brink of poverty, she is trying to marry a wealthy aristocrat. Having to deal with poverty and the societal implications, especially in a blue-blood family, would toughen anyone up. Annabeth was no exception. And her belief in high society meant that those of the lower classes were generally avoided. Her transformation was a prime example of how to represent growth in a character; it was incredible! I know that a few readers had problems understanding how she could be so ruthless in her pursuit of a husband, but her actions embody those in a similar situation. Annabeth desperately wants to save her family and retain some dignity during the process. While she may not be morally right at all times, her actions are understandable. <br /><br /> Simon's development throughout the story is a bit more subtle. Readers understand that he is very ambitious and is just searching for an unknown that would fill the emptiness in him. While this is an overused trope in Romance, it was well thought in Simon. He was not over-eager in his pursuit. Instead, he relied on honesty and sweetness to win her. He was incredibly self-aware; however, he could still make mistakes, which really opened up his character. And the fact that he would marry her even if she was not a virgin, stood out in this historical piece. Simon's drive made the pursuit of Annabeth so captivating. Instead of it being one-sided, both characters pushed, moved...aggravated each other, setting off fireworks whenever they were together. They broke down each other's walls and formed a genuine connection over time. <br /><br /> Historical romance novels usually stop developing love after marriage, but that doesn't happen here, which is fantastic! There were marital problems that took communication and compromises to change. Was it a bit dramatic? Of course, but there were so many parts of their relationships and marriage that were realistic. There was still growth that needed to happen after this book had ended, but the foundation was there. One thing that really stands out is their chess games. They were some of my favourite scenes; there was so much emotion in those scenes that didn't need to be spelled out for the reader. <br /><br /> Now the Wallflowers. They were a beautiful addition to this book. Each came with their own personality and added to the hilarity of Secrets of a Summer Night. Their rounders scene had me in stitches! And I can't wait for Lillian's and Marcus' book (which is next)!<br /><br /> Overall, a heart-warming, enticing read. A definite 5 star read and highly recommended read for new and old fans of Historical romances!<br /></span></div>vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-28953861524360885602017-08-29T23:05:00.001-04:002020-05-17T23:57:07.634-04:00The Revolution of Marina M.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498737687l/34523120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Revolution of Marina M." border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498737687l/34523120.jpg" width="130" /></a><u><b>The Revolution of Marina M. Summary: </b></u><br />
St. Petersburg, New Year's Eve, 1916. Marina Makarova is a young woman of privilege who aches to break free of the constraints of her genteel life, a life about to be violently upended by the vast forces of history. Swept up on these tides, Marina will join the marches for workers' rights, fall in love with a radical young poet, and betray everything she holds dear, before being betrayed in turn.<br />
<br />
As her country goes through almost unimaginable upheaval, Marina's own coming-of-age unfolds, marked by deep passion and devastating loss, and the private heroism of an ordinary woman living through extraordinary times. This is the epic, mesmerizing story of one indomitable woman's journey through some of the most dramatic events of the last century.<br />
<br />
<u><b>The Revolution of Marina M. Review: </b></u><br />
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<span class="readable"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span>I'm keeping this review short, because a book this good is difficult to describe. It is something that you have to read for yourself to truly experience the delight and and adventure the book brings. And on that note, here is my review... <br />
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The Revolution of Marina M. is an 816 page book filled with heart-wrenching tales of a girl finding her way through the hardships of life. I usually don’t enjoy books like this one because following a character through a large period of time is not easy to narrate for most authors. These books cannot keep the attention of the reader, or fail to make each part of the protagonist’s life believable; whether it be from the lack of dimensional characters or not enough descriptions of the settings. However, The Revolution of Marina M. is able to keep the reader focused on Marina’s journey. The novel is very well researched and does not strongly feature a love interest, showcasing a new side of historical fiction that I had not previously read. Additionally, the writing was engaging and descriptive. Unfortunately, the book was a little slow to get into as the novel is slowly building itself up. <br />
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Overall, The Revolution of Marina M. is a 4.5 star read, and one that I highly recommend, especially if you want to try something new!<br />
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<i>Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i></div>
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vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-18744193572181728662017-07-30T01:12:00.001-04:002017-07-30T01:15:13.403-04:00A Dance with Seduction (A Spy in the Ton, #1) <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498834619l/35557457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Dance with Seduction (A Spy in the Ton, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498834619l/35557457.jpg" width="133" /></a><u><b>A Dance with Seduction Summary: </b></u><br />
She was the only code he couldn't break...<br />
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Vivienne Le Fleur is one of London’s most sought after opera dancer and one of England’s best weapons: the spy known as the Flower. When a French agent pressures her to change allegiance by abducting her sister, Vivienne is forced to seek the help of the only man in London who doesn’t want her.<br />
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Maximilian Westwood, retired code breaker, doesn't like surprises or mysteries and The Flower is both. When she sneaks into his study in the middle of the night with a coded message, he’s ready to push her out whatever window she arrived through. Except Maximilian is unable to turn away a woman in trouble. Determined to rescue Vivienne’s sister, they engage in a game of cat and mouse with French spies that requires all of Vivienne’s training and Maximilian’s abilities. Bound together by secrecy, they discover there is more between them than politics and hidden codes, but love has no place among the secrets of espionage... <br />
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<u><b>A Dance with Seduction Review: </b></u><br />
A Dance of Seduction is a book that I enjoyed reading as a result of a phenomenal premise, with suspense, mystery and a good deal of romance. From the start, the book was realistic in regards to both characters and plot. These characteristics along with a refreshing new take on spies made A Dance of Seduction an excellent novel in comparison to other historical mysteries.<br />
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Both Vivienne and Maximillian, were fascinating characters to read about. Maximillian, not Max, was a government code-breaker, now a translator in eleven languages and a grumpy book-nerd. Definitely not a characteristic that comes about frequently in book characters. On top of that, he’s a beta hero, meaning that Maximillian never dominants his will over Vivienne. He does not treat her as a delicate flower; he recognizes that she is a survivor. On the other hand, he respects her enough to see through her façade and pushes Vivienne to free herself. Likewise, Maximillian does not make a move on her while she is supposed to be under the protection of another male, however there is still a significant amount of sexual tension.<br />
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Vivienne is another character that I came to respect throughout her journey in this book. While she does have trust issues concerning Maximillian, I was happy to see that she worked through it, allowing herself a change at love. Additionally, she was a strong heroine who puts the needs of her sister over her desire for a relationship, strengthening her character. This struggle between the two along with the obstacles Vivienne has to overcome led to a very powerful romance.<br />
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Overall, A Dance of Seduction is a 3.5 star read! The beginning of the story was a little slow, but when the plot picked up, it turned into a fantastic romance. The writing drew me, and the plot kept me captivated as they attempt to save Anne and defeat the Vulture. I highly recommend this book to anyone who would enjoy a historical spy novel and will definitely be reading the previous books in the series!<br />
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<i>Thank you to Alyssa Alexander and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i></div>
vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-6655179767035570852017-07-21T15:37:00.001-04:002017-07-30T09:43:24.524-04:00The Devil’s Prayer <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1455904305l/29225318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Devil's Prayer" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1455904305l/29225318.jpg" width="130" /></a><u><b>The Devil’s Prayer Summary: </b></u><br />
A nun commits suicide in front of thousands in Spain. In Australia, Siobhan Russo recognises that nun as her mother, Denise Russo, who disappeared six years ago. <br />
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In search of answers, Siobhan travels to the isolated convent where her mother once lived. Here she discovers Denise’s final confession, a book that details a heinous betrayal that left her crippled and mute, and Denise’s subsequent deal with the Devil to take revenge. In the desperate bargain Denise made with the Prince of Darkness, she wagered Siobhan’s soul. <br />
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As Siobhan discovers the fate of her soul, she learns that hidden within the pages of her mother’s confession is part of The Devil’s Prayer, an ancient text with the power to unleash apocalyptic horrors. <br />
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And now her mother’s enemies know Siobhan has it. <br />
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Can Siobhan escape an order of extremist monks determined to get the Prayer back? Can she save the world from its own destruction?<br />
<b><br />Warning: "The Devil’s Prayer" is a historical horror thriller that contains brutality, rape, sex, drug abuse and murder. Readers may find its content offensive and confronting. </b><br />
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<u><b>The Devil’s Prayer Review:</b></u><i> </i><br />
The Devil's Prayer is a surprisingly good read! Throughout the whole book I was captivated by the storytelling, both the non-fiction aspect as well as the darker part of the novel. On top of that, the character development was phenomenal. I really was excited to reading about Siobhan and her journey in this book. Every detail is harrowing and suspenseful, the action is graphic and the world is nightmarish. <br />
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The history part of the novel I found incredibly fascinating. Learning about the conspiracy between the two families along with the historical setting was something that I enjoy read about. I felt that this part of the book set up well for the remaining darker part in the book. On the other hand, the information was a tad bit dense, so if you are not into a more non-fiction feel, you may not like this part. <br />
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It soon became grittier and more sinister plot, because the portrayal of the corrupt in this novel was terrific. The descriptions were raw and exciting along with the historical parts were woven through the writing. The story came alive, bringing me into the adventure with Siobhan. <br />
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Overall, The Devil's Prayer is a five-star read! I completely loved reading this original, horror-filled and suspenseful novel. This is one book that I will definitely read again! Fair warning though, there are several trigger warnings listed in the summary above. I can't wait to see if there is going to be a sequel!<i><br /><br />Thank you to Netgalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review! </i></div>
vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-88164655305262372182017-07-07T22:36:00.003-04:002017-07-07T22:42:20.028-04:00Addiction (Bayfront Billionaires, #5)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494442324l/35110300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Addiction (Bayfront Billionaires, #5)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1494442324l/35110300.jpg" width="138" /></a><u><b>Addiction Summary:</b></u><br />
Everyone loves a secret…<br />
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Liv Tyner has an ultra-sexy one she’s been keeping all to herself. A sinfully delicious, forbidden secret that has inspired endless fantasy material late into her lonely nights. But when that secret is suddenly staring her in the face—in the form of two fantastically built and wildly successful men—not only does Liv have trouble keeping her one-time-only love triangle under wraps, she also longs for a repeat performance.<br />
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Step-brothers Nate Dalton and Tristan Reeves have built a global communications empire that laid the groundwork for their ten-year homecoming to Bayfront. But more important than success is winning the love of the one woman neither has gotten off his mind or out of his system no matter how much time and distance spans between them—sensational and highly addictive Liv Tyner!<br />
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As a slow seduction begins and all their juicy secrets are revealed, can these star-crossed lovers find themselves in the right place, at the right time, to make a more permanent love connection?<br />
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<u><b>Addiction Review:</b></u><br />
Addiction was a quick and easy book to read. For me, there was little to no character development for Liv, Nate and Tristan. I started the book with a high school/Pretty Little Liars feel and it did not change significantly for the rest of the story. The introduction of the main characters and their lifestyles came off like elitists and preppy, rich people, instead of something that I could relate to. The pain and hard work they had placed into their careers and past did not come through at all. Their lives only showed rainbows, instead of the grittier stuff about life that I was looking for. I do not enjoy reading books without substance, which is what I found in this book.<br />
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While reading this book, I was more interested in reading about the side characters than Nate, Liv and Tristan, which should not be happening. It was not something that I could get into and found myself skimming because it just wasn't interesting. However, other readers did enjoy this book so do give it a try.<br />
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Overall, this book is a 1.5 star read. There wasn't much to save it for me except for the secondary characters.<br />
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<i>Thank you to Calista Fox for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i></div>
vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-38898253773553562112017-07-06T20:34:00.001-04:002017-07-29T18:01:21.534-04:00The Billionaire's Intern (Billionaire Fairy Tales #3)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.jackieashenden.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Billionaires-Intern.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://www.jackieashenden.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Billionaires-Intern.png" width="138" /></a><u><b>The Billionaire's Intern Summary: </b></u><br />
<b>Lorenzo De Santis: Ruthless. Driven. Ambitious. </b><br />
Lorenzo De Santis is the boss. He’s an uncompromising hardass, he doesn’t suffer fools, and he doesn’t have time to deal with witless young interns. But when an old friend asks for a favor, Lorenzo can’t refuse. Even if it means taking on the man’s daughter as a project. <br />
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<b>Kira Constantin: Rich. Party girl…Spy. </b><br />
Kira Constantin feels like she has been half-alive since that one night of partying ended in tragedy. So when her father demands that she go undercover at De Santis Corp as a spy, there’s no way she can refuse. She must redeem herself, even if that means dealing with a boss like of Lorenzo De Santis. <br />
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Except neither of them counts on the forbidden heat that flares between them. As Kira and Lorenzo draw closer, spying on him becomes harder and harder. And then Kira discovers that the real villain might be closer to her than she thinks…<br />
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<u><b>The Billionaire's Intern Review:</b></u><br />
After reading The Dangerous Billionaire and not being pleased with the writing, I was hesitant to read The Billionaire's Intern. I was happily surprised to find the book had more likeable characters, and an plot that created an interesting book. <br />
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As individuals both Lorenzo and Kira were complex characters. Kira's ADHD is a condition that I can relate to, which made her development throughout the novel much more exciting. It also had me rooting behind her to find love with a person who would understand how to treat her right. And, her past is tragic, making the connection between her and Lorenzo stronger and more realistic. <br />
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Lorenzo, was an intriguing person to read about. Cold and a very strong alpha, it was difficult at times to read about him. With the history he has with relationships, it is easy to understand why he is so controlled with his emotions, but his dominance comes off as aggression at times. Especially during the first half of the book. It did level off by the end, allowing for a pleasing HEA. <br />
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The one reason that this HEA stood out to me was that Kira and Lorenzo recognized their love for each other not because one had a near death experience; instead it came because they were not willing to hide behind their emotions. It was satisfying to have a love story that was not a cliché. <br />
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Unfortunately, this book did have other faults. Kira's past was retold many times, creating some very repetitive thoughts, instead of additional character development. Furthermore, the ending built up for a very exciting finish, but feel a little flat. Luckily, the ending also revealed some information that has made me interested in the next book. Can’t go into much more detail, it would definitely be a spoiler. <br />
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Overall, this book is a 3.5 read. It had all the makings of a great story, but the romance felt a little to anti-climatic. <br />
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<i>Thank you to Jackie Ashenden for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i></div>
vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-62045236271912926442017-07-06T18:54:00.000-04:002020-05-17T23:58:56.050-04:00The Dangerous Billionaire (Tate Brother #1) Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 19pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wanting the Wrong thing HAS NEVER BEEN SO RIGHT...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"A master at crafting tension and desire.” –RT Book Reviews</span></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481399325l/31450835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Dangerous Billionaire (Tate Brothers, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481399325l/31450835.jpg" width="122" /></a><u><b>The Dangerous Billionaire Summary: </b></u><br />
<b>Navy SEAL Sullivan "Van" Tate has been called home to reluctantly inherit an empire and finds himself facing the most difficult mission of all: love.</b><br />
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Nothing about Sullivan "Van" Tate is what it seems. A Navy SEAL raised among the New York City elite, Van prefers heart-pounding action over a Wall Street corner office. But when his adoptive father dies and his business rivals move in to overtake his empire, Van must suit up to save the company and protect the one woman most forbidden to him…and the object of Van's most dangerous desires. <br />
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Chloe Tate is as ambitious as she is gorgeous. With a newfound independence, Chloe is no longer a prisoner on her father’s ranch. But everything changes when losing her father may also mean losing her life. Even with her survival on the line, Chloe can’t deny the burning attraction she feels the moment she locks eyes with Van, her rich, rough and ready, foster brother and the new head of her father’s company. Tall, dark, and muscled, he's the one man who she has no business being with. But how can she resist a Navy Seal Warrior when he’ll do anything to protect her?<br />
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<u><b>The Dangerous Billionaire Review:</b></u><br />
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Jackie Ashenden’s Dangerous Billionaire was an interesting starting to her new Tate Brothers series. It did a fair job of setting up the premise for the rest of the series, which I am very interested to read about. The biggest takeaway from this book is its ability to set up the next novels because, other than that, it left something to be desired. </div>
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The main problem came from the Van and Chloe. Neither of them acted as grown-up adults, had decent communication skills or any actual chemistry. A lot of their interactions, and feelings came off very shallow and did not allow for any connection between the characters and I.<br />
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Van was whiny from day one because he can no longer work as a Navy Seal, must run the Tate Oil company, deal with his younger sister and every little thing that came he was after his father’s death. Chloe was just as whiny when she loses the ranch and is incapable to of acting with some common sense when she is in danger. Instead, we are told the her “courageous” and “spunky” attitude is not the same as running head first into a confrontation.<br />
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Ignoring the two main characters, characters like Logan, Wolf and Cesare de Santis made the book more interesting. It will be intriguing to read Logan and Wolf’s book and hopefully see more of Cesare’s villainous side.<br />
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Overall, this book is a 3-star rating. The main characters were irritating to read about, but this book itself was captivating enough that I finished it within a few hours. I will be reading the next few books because I know that the first book is usually the worst, as it tries to set up the premise for the series.<br />
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<i>Thank you to Jackie Ashenden for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i><br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/iGGJTDc2bXLjDbHmtoWPRREyyZzZGgs-23LwJCeCb59RS6e24ri75AmifuLrLZVHjxATy-qbohCtRej0b_uBYeVcZ0sVm8BundkXGuEreWPbXPSx0QQa9xKzZ5q4zSSlJ_6XndRK" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/iGGJTDc2bXLjDbHmtoWPRREyyZzZGgs-23LwJCeCb59RS6e24ri75AmifuLrLZVHjxATy-qbohCtRej0b_uBYeVcZ0sVm8BundkXGuEreWPbXPSx0QQa9xKzZ5q4zSSlJ_6XndRK" style="border: medium none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="133" /></a><u><b><span id="docs-internal-guid-2b054485-cc50-a8f2-1b86-a9f8cf3a15b7" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>Author Bio:</b></u><br />
Jackie Ashenden lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, the inimitable Dr. Jax, and their two kids and two cats. When she's not torturing alpha males and their stroppy heroines, she can be found drinking chocolate martinis, reading anything she can lay her hands on, posting random crap on her blog, or being forced to go mountain biking with her husband.<br />
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<b>Social Links:</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.jackieashenden.com/">http://www.jackieashenden.com/</a></div>
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<i>Twitter</i>: @JackieAshenden<br />
<i>Facebook</i>: @jackie.ashenden<br />
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<a href="http://smpromance.com/">http://smpromance.com/</a><br />
<i>Twitter</i>: @SMPRomance<br />
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<i>Amazon</i>: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Billionaire-SEAL-Romance-Brothers/dp/1250122791/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474957089&sr=8-1&keywords=the+dangerous+billionaire+ashenden">https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Billionaire-SEAL-Romance-Brothers/dp/1250122791/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474957089&sr=8-1&keywords=the+dangerous+billionaire+ashenden</a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Billionaire-SEAL-Romance-Brothers/dp/1250122791/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474957089&sr=8-1&keywords=the+dangerous+billionaire+ashenden" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><i></i></a><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Billionaire-SEAL-Romance-Brothers/dp/1250122791/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474957089&sr=8-1&keywords=the+dangerous+billionaire+ashenden"><br /></a>B&N</i>: <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dangerous-billionaire-jackie-ashenden/1124362826?ean=9781250122797">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dangerous-billionaire-jackie-ashenden/1124362826?ean=9781250122797</a><br />
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<i>Google</i>: <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=RRFGDQAAQBAJ">https://books.google.com/books?id=RRFGDQAAQBAJ</a><br />
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<i>Kobo</i>: <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-dangerous-billionaire">https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-dangerous-billionaire</a><i></i></div>
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vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-69333965863921198412017-05-02T23:30:00.008-04:002017-05-07T23:32:23.002-04:00The Dangerous Billionaire (Tate Brother #1) Exclusive Excerpt!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 19pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wanting the Wrong thing HAS NEVER BEEN SO RIGHT...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"A master at crafting tension and desire.” –RT Book Reviews</span></div>
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<br />
<u><b>The Dangerous Billionaire: </b></u><br />
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481399325l/31450835.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Dangerous Billionaire (Tate Brothers, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481399325l/31450835.jpg" width="122" /></a><b>Navy SEAL
Sullivan "Van" Tate has been called home to reluctantly inherit an
empire and finds himself facing the most difficult mission of all: love.</b><br />
<br />
Nothing
about Sullivan "Van" Tate is what it seems. A Navy SEAL raised among
the New York City elite, Van prefers heart-pounding action over a Wall
Street corner office. But when his adoptive father dies and his business
rivals move in to overtake his empire, Van must suit up to save the
company and protect the one woman most forbidden to him…and the object
of Van's most dangerous desires. <br />
<br />
Chloe Tate is as
ambitious as she is gorgeous. With a newfound independence, Chloe is no
longer a prisoner on her father’s ranch. But everything changes when
losing her father may also mean losing her life. Even with her survival
on the line, Chloe can’t deny the burning attraction she feels the
moment she locks eyes with Van, her rich, rough and ready, foster
brother and the new head of her father’s company. Tall, dark, and
muscled, he's the one man who she has no business being with. But how
can she resist a Navy Seal Warrior when he’ll do anything to protect
her?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/jy1sUhhjDOp1ppNbHtl1zzhTWt8CYI_UEOryz4kpuLmmaQqmdfFzZvEQ_tG4fUu8Cxw52n0bBQLpTtTGAlY0_EnUIcgzP0UTTEHvERXpBwufCm_gC4vKJBOxuxwF45kp6PBAYHPp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/jy1sUhhjDOp1ppNbHtl1zzhTWt8CYI_UEOryz4kpuLmmaQqmdfFzZvEQ_tG4fUu8Cxw52n0bBQLpTtTGAlY0_EnUIcgzP0UTTEHvERXpBwufCm_gC4vKJBOxuxwF45kp6PBAYHPp" style="border: medium none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="133" /></a> <u><b>Author Bio:</b></u><br />
Jackie Ashenden lives in Auckland,
New Zealand with her husband, the inimitable Dr. Jax, and their two kids
and two cats. When she's not torturing alpha males and their stroppy
heroines, she can be found drinking chocolate martinis, reading anything
she can lay her hands on, posting random crap on her blog, or being
forced to go mountain biking with her husband.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
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<br />
<u><b>The Excerpt!: </b></u><br />
<span id="docs-internal-guid-56b17b1e-cc55-f9be-52e2-1b8d906cd081" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
He didn’t look at her. Instead he shifted his weight onto one elbow and lifted his hand, cupping one breast in his palm. The breath hissed in her throat, the shocking heat of his touch reverberating through her like a scream echoing through a deserted house. He brushed his thumb over her aching nipple and she gasped, all the desperation she’d felt earlier rushing back.<br />
<br />
He lowered his head, putting his mouth against the pulse at the base of her throat, the feel of his lips so hot she began to shiver almost uncontrollably. His tongue pressed lightly, his thumb brushing back and forth over her nipple, teasing her. She groaned, her spine bowing, pleasure like a live thing twisting inside her.<br />
<br />
“Beautiful,” he whispered roughly against her skin, giving her the reassurance she needed without her even having to ask. “You’re just so fucking beautiful.”<br />
<br />
He didn’t speak after that, too busy trailing kisses down over her skin, making goose bumps rise everywhere, the brush of his thumb maddening. Then he took his hand away as his mouth closed over the hard point of her nipple, hot and wet, an intense pressure building as he began to suck.<br />
<br />
She groaned again, the pleasure bright and electric, her hands closing into fists beside her head. It felt so good she could hardly stand it. She whispered his name yet again, the sound raw as he teased her nipple with his tongue, then bit gently on it, making a sob catch in her throat.<br />
<br />
He shifted his attention to her other breast, sucking that into his mouth as well as he slid one hand down the quivering plane of her stomach, to the fastening of her jeans. She lifted her hips urgently, unable to keep still, wanting to pull away from the maddening torture of his mouth and yet wanting him to suck harder, deeper at the same time.<br />
<br />
“Hush.” His breath was hot against her sensitized nipple. “I told you to keep still. It’ll happen, don’t worry.”<br />
<br />
She tried to do as she was told as he casually flicked open the button on her jeans and grabbed the tab of her zipper, tugging it down. Then his fingers were feathering light touches across her stomach, moving lower, sliding beneath the waistband of her panties. The breath sobbed in her throat as she felt those teasing fingers tangle in the soft, damp curls between her thighs, pulling lightly, sending tiny pinpricks of sensation racing over her skin.<br />
<br />
She said something, she didn’t know what, maybe it was his name again or maybe it was a curse, and then she forgot it entirely as his fingers slid lower, stroking the soft, slick folds of her pussy.<br />
<br />
Her hips bucked against his hand, her head going back on the pillow. He circled her clit with one finger, teasing her. Inching her closer toward the edge of the cliff but not pushing her off.<br />
<br />
His mouth was so hot on her nipple, licking and sucking, torturing her as his fingers stroked unhurriedly around and around her clit, then sliding down to circle the entrance of her body, almost pushing inside but not quite.<br />
<br />
He was playing with her, making her moan and move restlessly beneath him, blind now to anything but the feel of his hands on her body and the relentless pressure that was slowly building higher and higher.<br />
<br />
Then quite suddenly he took his hands away and she nearly burst into tears at the loss, reaching for him as she felt his weight shift up and back.<br />
<br />
“Lie still.” The rough sound of his voice rolled over her, full of command. “I’m not going anywhere.”<br />
So she did as she was told, lying back against the pillows, blinking away the stupid rush of salty tears from her eyes and watching him slide off the bed. He straightened and pulled his shirt off, then got rid of his shoes. He un did his pants, pushed them down his hips along with his briefs, and stepped out of them magnificently, gloriously naked, but for his dog tags.<br />
<br />
She couldn’t stop staring at him, following the carved lines of muscle and sinew, a work of perfect, masculine art, the eagle and trident inked across his chest making it very clear—as if his body hadn’t already—exactly what he was.<br />
<br />
Dangerous, lethal. A weapon in human form.<br />
<br />
He bent and got his wallet out of his pants, every movement fluid, purposeful as he extracted a foil packet from it. Then he ripped the open the foil, taking out the latex inside. And as she watched, completely fascinated, he reached down and gripped his cock in one hand, rolling down the condom with the other.<br />
<br />
Big. He was really big. And beautiful too.<br />
<br />
Her hands itched, wanting to touch him, to stroke down the long, smooth length of his rigid flesh, feel exactly how hard he was. But then he was moving, the bed dipping as he got back onto it. And her breath caught as he reached for the waistband of her jeans, pulling the denim down her legs in short, hard jerks, taking her panties along with them, and finally slipping them both off. Then he put his hands on her bare thighs and with ruthless insistence, spread them wide apart.<br />
<br />
Another rush of vulnerability swept over her and she half sat up, breathing fast. “Van, I . . .” she began, before stopping short, not knowing what she wanted to say.<br />
<br />
But he was moving forward, putting his hands on her shoulders and easing her back. “Let me look.” His voice had gentled again. “I only want to look at you.”<br />
<br />
She tried to relax against the pillows, letting him hold her thighs apart, his gaze returning between them. The look on his face was so hungry, making her feel less ex posed and more . . . powerful almost. She liked doing that to him. She liked making him look at her as if he was starving.<br />
He moved forward quite suddenly, coming over her, surrounding her with all that bare, tanned skin and strong muscle, his dog tags brushing against her sensitized breasts. The scent of him was everywhere, fresh, with that spicy, earthy undertone, and she was abruptly trembling so hard she didn’t think she’d ever stop.<br />
<br />
He said nothing, looking at down at her, and this time his expression was fierce with something she didn’t under stand. She wanted to ask him what it was, but then he slid one hand beneath her hips, lifting them, and she felt the head of his cock slide through her folds, nudging against her clit. And she forgot what she was going to ask. In fact, she lost the power of speech entirely.<br />
<br />
All she could do was lie there, shaking and desperate as he teased her, and when she didn’t think she could bear it anymore, he began to push his cock inside her, the intense stretch and burn of her pussy around him tearing a gasp from her throat.<br />
<br />
She sobbed, because he didn’t rush. He went slowly. Inch by inch. Murmuring encouragement, telling her what a good girl she was, how tight and wet and hot her pussy was, and how good she felt around his cock. The dirty talk made her break out into a sweat, the climax so near she could almost taste it, making her want to shove herself up onto him or do something—anything—to push herself over the edge. But he didn’t let her, pinning one of her hips to the mattress with one hand as he lifted her leg up and around his waist with the other, tilting her pelvis so he could slide in deeper.<br />
<br />
She stopped pleading, her throat too dry, her voice too hoarse. Besides, it was clear he wasn’t going to do anything until he was good and ready. She could only breathe through the pleasure that was wrapping itself around her throat and squeezing tight, making her gasp, making lights burst behind her eyes.<br />
<br />
Then he was seated deep inside her, and she found herself pressed to the mattress, pinned beneath the hot, heavy weight of him. But strangely, looking up into his beautiful face, she didn’t feel crushed. She felt anchored. As if for the first time since she’d left Wyoming she’d come home in some way.<br />
She didn’t speak as his arms came around her, cradling her, holding her close against him like she was a secret he wanted to keep safe. Then he drew back his hips and thrust deep inside her.<br />
Chloe came apart then, sobbing against his shoulder, shattering as easily and as lightly as a sphere of blown glass, the pieces of her held together only by the strength of his arms.<br />
<br />
<b>Copyright © 2017 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Press.</b></div>
vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-47538492590998672452017-02-18T17:19:00.000-05:002017-02-18T17:19:01.416-05:00Born of Vengeance (The League #12)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1463168999l/21858682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Born of Vengeance (The League, #10)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1463168999l/21858682.jpg" width="123" /></a><span id="freeText6280799541298273690"><u><b>Born of Vengeance Summary: </b></u></span><br />
<span id="freeText6280799541298273690">A fate worse than death . . .<br /><br />Bastien Cabarro survived the brutal slaughter of his entire family only to have his wife pin their murders on him. Made Ravin by The League, he is now a target for their assassins-in-training to hunt and kill. The average life expectancy for such beings is six weeks. But defying the odds is what this Gyron Force officer does best, and Bastien won’t rest until he lays his betrayers in their graves.<br /><br />Ten years later, he has one chance to balance the scales of justice, provided he relies on his former wingman— the very sister of the woman who testified against him.<br /><br />Major Ember Wyldestarrin joined the outlaw Tavali the day Kirovar fell into the hands of a tyrant, and she and her team were left on an outpost to die under a barrage of enemy fire. The last thing she wants is to be involved in politics again. But if she doesn’t bring Bastien in, her sister will pay the ultimate price. Now she has to find some way to betray her former wingman (and fiance) before he catches on and kills her. Even so, treachery doesn’t come easy to a woman who took a loyalty oath to protect her homeworld and comrades-in-arms.<br /><br />Yet as she tries to do right by her family, she learns that Bastien doesn’t just hold the key to the fate of Kirovar, he is vital to The Sentella-League war, and to the entire Tavali nation. If she hands him over, three nations fall. If she doesn’t, her entire family dies. Their fates are all in her hands, and time for all of them is quickly running out.</span><br />
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<span id="freeText6280799541298273690"><u><b>Born of Vengeance Review: </b></u></span><br />
<span id="freeText6280799541298273690"></span>I actually thought this book was stellar and one of the better ones that Kenyon has written. Now, this is based mostly on the new dialogue that I felt added a lot to the story and even the repeated parts were good for me because I forgot most of them from the previous book. It also helped that I got this book from the library, so I didn't feel cheated for the repeated material. <br /><u><br />What I liked:</u><br /><b>Bastien:</b> He was absolutely amazing! He was a great hero first and foremost, but on top of that, he didn't wallow in his history. Characters like Jullien (even though I liked his book) would constantly worry about their self-worth and it came off like a pity party. There was none of that with Bastien making the story refreshing and absolutely hilarious. There were actually parts that I laughed out loud which I couldn't do for previous books just because there was so much sadness in them. I'm not saying Bastien had it easy because his past will break your heart and pray for his happy ending. In all honesty, he was one of Kenyon's most real heroes and someone I wish had gotten a larger book. <br /><b> </b><br />
<b>The Intro:</b> What a spectacular way to start a story!! It brought you right into their world and made you thoroughly enjoy the ride. It wasn't one of the endings Kenyon usually does that shows the hero talking (sometimes wallowing) in his past. It was exciting, invigorating and told us more about the characters than any long description could have. <br /><b> </b><br />
<b>The Side Characters:</b> Some of the best stories were Bastien interacting with people like Ryn and Chayden. Holy cow was Chayden funny! I really really hope his story is to come soon because it will definitely be a spectacular book. Even the short story at the end about Thia was better just for having a Chayden cameo. <br /><b> </b><br />
<b>The Plot.</b> It was well drawn out and interesting. It also revealed some new information which is going to be VERY important for the future of the League War. What was there and new was amazing. Another thing about this was that instead of getting a long description of characters and places, we actually got to see what was happening. The most important thing an author can do is show not tell and Kenyon did a much better job in this novel. <br /><br /><u>Now what I didn't like: </u><br />
<b>Ember:</b> Now I'm currently on the fence about her. I really didn't like her in the beginning, even during the first chapter she gave me iffy vibes. I generally don't like the females in Paranormal Adult books because they come off as holier than thou and have so many irritating qualities. Not all because most of my favourite books are adult ones. Back to Ember, I was routinely pissed off that she tried to blame Bastien for her fear. Yes, he made mistakes but he accepted that and didn't take it out on Ember. Ember was not that selfless, even going as far as to hide secrets from him. Luckily, by the end, I did like her a bit more, but still one of the least favourite heroines. <br /><br /><b>Ember's Sisters</b>: I am impressed that most of them managed to stick by each other through all the suffering they went through. The other side of that is that seemed like a cult. The were willing to lash out any person who slighted one of them. It angered me so much when they ALL turned on Bastien when they knew the parties at fault. And then when they <embraced after="" alive="" and="" bastien="" can="" from="" go="" he="" him="" how="" incredibly="" like="" p="" pure="" s="" saw="" stupid.="" t.="" that="" they="" treated="" was="" weird="" when=""><br /><b>The Story:</b> There were two problems with the story itself. The first is that there was a year completely ignored. We see them meet and then skip to when they were supposed to be in love. That year we missed did not develop the characters enough to actual feel for them during loss and to not understand the villain. This book could have only been strengthened by adding more information about their relationship and showing important character developments. The second problem came from that fact that so much of this material was repeated verbatim from the Born of Legend and Born of Fury. It was great to see this but it didn't add anything new to the story. What could have been better would be to add dialogue that wasn't in the previous books but still at the same time of those scenes. Kenyon did do one example of this by adding a scene we hadn't seen from Born of Fury. There were obviously many interesting new tidbits we saw, but more of this should have been included. It wouldn't have taken away from the story and could have allowed for more plot development. Just changing the perspective is not enough because there was so much that could have been talked about instead.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Also, the synopsis is actually a bit misleading so beware. </i><br /><br />Honestly, this book was pretty good. Not the best, but better than a lot of the previous books have been. It could have even better had the story included more important information that wasn't previous revealed. It would have only strengthened and enhanced the book. <br /><br />Overall, this is a 4-star read. 5 stars for the new parts of the story and 2.5 for the repeated parts. In all, I will read the next book and pray that it won't have the same problems as this one did. That it will only get better from here because she will learn what works and what doesn't because what is important to her isn't necessarily important for her readers. </embraced></div>
vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-17556266200407637702017-01-09T17:10:00.002-05:002017-01-09T17:10:12.077-05:00Intense Pleasure (Bound Hearts #14) <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1465424264l/29875942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Intense Pleasure" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1465424264l/29875942.jpg" width="122" /></a><u><b>Intense Pleasure Summary: </b></u><br />
Sexy, scintillating, and secretive, Intense Pleasure is the story of hidden desires and illicit romance. When danger threatens a woman, the two men who crave her, cannot live without her, will stop at nothing to protect her life… and satisfy every burning desire she has. They must stay bound together to be stronger than what hunts her, and let passion consume them…<br />
<br />
<b>TOO HOT TO HANDLE</b><br />
<br />
Her name is Summer, as beautiful and occasionally fierce as her name suggests. Her past has just come back to haunt her, and suddenly she’s not sure who she can trust. Her longtime confidantes Falcone and Raeg seem to have Summer’s best interests at heart. . .but it’s clear that their desire for her still burns between them. Can they find a way to keep Summer safe—or will a bitter rivalry stand in their way?<br />
<br />
Falcone and Raeg need to work together, now more than ever, if they intend to protect Summer from an old enemy who knows her dangerous secret. When Summer’s identity as a sweet, Southern socialite gets out, the two men must find a way to draw out the ruthless assassin on her trail. . .and keep their illicit romance with her under wraps. But some passions are so intense they can’t remain hidden.<br />
<br />
What are Falcone and Raeg willing to risk for the woman they both crave like no other, in Intense Pleasure, the next Bound Hearts novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Intense Pleasure Review: </b></u><br />
This book is not the best Lora Leigh novel that I have read but it definitely was not the worst. The Southern family atmosphere in this book was a welcome change from previous erotica books I was reading. And it made the book a lot more enjoyable.<br />
<br />
The characters were interesting and three dimensional. It was easy to root for a happy ending for the characters. Unfortunately, during some points of the story there seemed to be a disconnect between the characters and the plot. This usually happened when the plot was slowing down.<br />
<br />
The word count could have been decreased because it made the plot drawn out and at some points unlikely. In the first few chapters of the book, this became a problem especially because I couldn’t understand what was happening. It was almost like the beginning was another book.<br />
<br />
As the book continued, the plot was consistent and interesting. It was filled with great character development, sexy moments, wonderful cameos and an all around awesome book!<br />
<br />
Overall, this book was a three-star read! If the beginning was better and a more consistent plot, then this book could have been a four-star read easy.<br />
<br />
<i>Thank you to Lora Leigh for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review</i></div>
vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-59913698873482403762016-11-24T18:08:00.000-05:002016-11-24T18:08:21.444-05:00For Maggie's Sake (Tempting Seals #3)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/netgalley-covers/cover100931-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" itemprop="image" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/netgalley-covers/cover100931-medium.png" width="138" /></a><u><b>For Maggie's Sake Summary: </b></u><br />
Maggie Chavez is in protective custody with a member of her former lover's SEAL team. Joe, her ex-lover, thinks Maggie is hiding information from him about a powerful drug lord and the deaths of some SEALs. He intends to seduce her and get the information before she can sell it back to the drug cartel. But the desire crackles between them and their attraction is undeniable. How can Joe use her and leave her, when all he wants is to hold her close and never let go?<br /><br /> <u><b>For Maggie's Sake Review: </b></u><br />
After Elle Kennedy's Out of Uniform series I wanted to try some more with Military heroes and heroines. For Maggie's Sake was my first book and it wasn't until I started reading this book that I realized it was the third book in Tempting Seals.<br /><br />Lora Leigh's books are a hit or miss for me. This one was a miss, unfortunately. The romance was kinda there but the premise and plot was mind-boggling, and not in a good way. This book is erotic romance so you have to expect a very strong sexual aspect but there should be a development in the romance. Unfortunately, There was too much of the same sex that was enjoyable in the beginning but it tends to get repetitive if not done right. For Maggie's Sake was not done right. This was also because the sex was overshadowing much of the romance's development. <br /><br />The characters came off as 2D sometimes. Some of them were quite interesting but unfortunately were just side characters. The main characters were the cliché romance hero and heroine, not something spectacular to read about. The hero will wait forever for the heroine no matter her circumstances while the heroine never loved her husband even though she married him. Now lots of stories do the waiting for the right match story line but not when it is kinda impossible for the two to get together. And it was cheesy. <br /><br /><b>Also Electric Penis??</b><br /><br />Overall, this book a 1 star read. It was cheesy and cliché , the plot was not captivating, the writing was awkward and the story was too short for any actual development. I will say this though; I will be reading the previous two books to get a better understand of For Maggie's Sake. Maybe that will change my rating. <br /><br /><i>Thank you to Lora Leigh for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i></div>
vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-82066599673958209852016-11-24T16:46:00.002-05:002016-11-24T16:46:32.064-05:00Only Pleasure: Part 3 (Broken Hearted #10)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473203411l/31702707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Only Pleasure: Part 3" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473203411l/31702707.jpg" width="138" /></a><u><b>Only Pleasure: Part 3 Summary:</b></u><br />When Chase opens Kia up to a whole new world of lust and pleasure, her world can never be the same again. But when danger looms closer and Kia's life is threatened, Chase will stop at nothing to keep his lovely Kia safe...and burning with desire in his arms forever.<br /><br /> <u><b>Only Pleasure: Part 3 Review: </b></u><br />What a great way to end this Only Pleasure! It not only finishes this book but shows the beginning to Khalid's book. <br /><br />This book does a spectacular job of putting together the suspense paired with the relationship between the two. While the sexual relationship is still there it has moved away from the menage. Not that a menage was a bad thing, but this transition shows the importance and connection between Ria and Chase. Also, it reinforces the emotional connection. Chase and Ria have both opened up so that they can finally love each other. <br /><br />Overall, it was a great way to end this series and will get a 4.5 star rating. I am excited to read the next book in this series, Guilty Pleasures. <br /><br />*Note: Only Pleasure: Part 3 is third and final part of the Only Pleasure book by Lora Leigh. *<br /><br /><i>Thank you to Lora Leigh for providing and ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i></div>
vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-68477751087766726472016-11-08T16:34:00.004-05:002016-11-08T16:35:42.225-05:00Only Pleasure: Part 2 (Broken Hearted #10)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473203482l/31702706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Only Pleasure: Part 2" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473203482l/31702706.jpg" width="138" /></a><u><b>Only Pleasure: Part 2 Summary:</b></u><br />
Kia is a dream Chase has not allowed himself to entertain. Now that he has her, it's her heart he's after and he's determined to win it, no matter the cost. And even though they both agreed <span id="freeText2863337779367108192">that it would only be for pleasure, a feeling deeper than all-consuming lust and illicit pleasure has taken hold of them.</span><br />
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<u><b>Only Pleasure: Part 2 Review: </b></u><br />
This series (just these three books) is getting better. Chase and Kia are developing as separate characters alongside their romance. We are also moving away from the ménage scenes so we can see the emotional and sexual relationship between the two. The plot is thickening with the unanswered question of who is trying to hurt Kia. <br />
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Chase is going through a turning point. He no longer sees the relationship with Kia as safe. His feelings are playing a significant role in his emotional turmoil. Chase is afraid of how much he needs Kia and if she feels the same for him. <br />
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Kia on the other hand, is becoming much more independent. She is no longer the doormat from before; gaining an inner strength that comes from moving on from her past. Kia keeps a strong face against any harrowing events and goes after what she wants. <br />
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Overall, this book is a 4.5 star read. The plot, characters and romance are developing faster to create an interesting story. Only Pleasure: Part Two is a great read that I recommend for fans of romance and erotica to read. <br />
<i><br />Thank you to Lora Leigh for providing and ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i></div>
vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-1069297092838827402016-11-04T16:59:00.000-04:002016-11-04T16:59:05.172-04:00Only Pleasure: Part 1 (Broken Hearted #10)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473203507l/31702705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Only Pleasure: Part 1" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473203507l/31702705.jpg" width="138" /></a><u><b>Only Pleasure: Part 1 Summary:</b></u><br />
Since Chase Falladay came to her rescue two years ago, Kia Stanton has never been able to forget the powerful man or the kind of life he leads. So two years later when she runs into Chase and his friend, Khalid, and leaves with them that night, she knows exactly where it is all heading. However, little prepares her for the smoldering pleasure she feels in the arms of two men. After years of holding back, Kia is finally able to find freedom...as Chase and Khalid possess her body with forbidden sensations...<br />
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<u><b>Only Pleasure: Part 1 Review: </b></u><br />
This book was good compared to the last book, Wicked Pleasures with the plot, characters and romance being much more developed. The main bad part of this novel is that it is divided into three parts. It ends off in an odd place that would have been much better had it just been continued. <br /><br />Part One starts the sexual relationship between Kia and Chase that does get a little bit tedious because there is only so much sex you can handle before you want something more. It also let's us see more of Khalid, who is a character I definitely want to see more of. <br /><br />The plot was suspenseful and dramatic, or as much as it can happen in such a short story. With Kia being stalked by her Ex-Husband plus Chase and Kia wondering whether they should pursue a deeper relationship, the story is very interesting. <br /><br />The one thing that would have been nice is if we got a little bit more background on Kia and Chase's previous relationship. It would have helped a lot of understand where any potential relationship between the two can go. <br /><br />Overall, this book is 3.5 start read. I will be posting a full review once I have read all parts of Only Pleasure <br /><br /><i>Thank you to Lora Leigh for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i></div>
vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-77094696635069967632016-11-02T22:26:00.000-04:002016-11-02T22:28:51.131-04:00To Love and to Cherish (Wedding Belles #3)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<u><b><a href="http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1472535207l/28552677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="To Love and to Cherish (The Wedding Belles, #3)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1472535207l/28552677.jpg" width="122" /></a>To Love and to Cherish Summary: </b></u><br />
Alexis Morgan has spent the past six years devoted to turning her tiny start-up into Manhattan’s premiere wedding planning company, The Wedding Belles. Now that her business is thriving, it’s time to turn towards her much neglected personal life, and Alexis approaches her relationships like she does everything else: with a plan. Not a part of that plan is Logan Harris, the silent partner in the Belles, and the one person who’s been there for her since the very beginning. But Alexis needs someone fun, and Logan’s all business, all the time—except when a late night at the office ends with an unexpected kiss that leaves the usually cool and together Alexis reeling.<br />
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Logan has lusted after Alexis since the day he walked into the tiny Harlem apartment that used to double as her office. But the ambitious wedding planner has always been untouchable...until now. Alexis has made it clear that she’s on the dating market—and equally clear that he’s not in the running. But when Alexis finds herself in need of a date for her sister’s last minute wedding in Florida, Logan knows it’s the perfect time to show Alexis that there’s more to him than numbers and spreadsheets—and beneath the pinstripes and glasses lies a hot-blooded heartthrob. As Florida’s sultry days turn into even hotter nights, Logan’s out to convince Alexis that the fling of a lifetime could just maybe turn into forever..<br />
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<u><b>To Love and to Cherish Review:</b></u> <br />
To Love and to Cherish was a good way to end the Wedding Belles series. It didn't match the expectations I had after reading For Better or Worse, but still provided a very enjoyable read. It had all the makings of a wonderful Lauren Layne novel with it's quirky humor, steamy romance and lovable characters. <br /><br />These were two characters I was excited from the very beginning because you could feel the tension between the two and a romance just waiting to happen. Logan blew away every expectation. He was the type of hero that every girl pins for. He is smart, charming, sexy, funny, kind and is the perfect boyfriend material. By the end of the novel I was kind of disappointed that he didn't get a heroine that was equal to him. <br /><i><br />"Logan was... everything. He was her friend and her business and her future all wrapped up into one admittedly yummy package. / And Alexis's careful, practical heart, even at its most vulnerable like it was now, just couldn't handle the potential of losing everything" </i><br /><br />Alexis on the other hand, gave my mixed feelings. From the beginning of this series we knew that she was aloof and had some emotional problems that she was still dealing with. I started rooting for at the start. It's always wonderful to see someone gain emotional closure and self confidence. As the story progressed she started to move away from being an independent woman to a scared child. It was especially irritating because she would fear change and insult Logan. It was understandable to act like this for a bit because of her past, but throughout 90% of the story is pushing it. Thankfully, by the end of the novel she did pull herself together yet there seemed to be a lack of progressive growth in her character. <br /><br /><i>"Logan. I don't understand you like this. I don't get what you want from me."<br /> "Yes. You do." </i><br /><br />The other characters were amazing as usual. Always bringing a smile to my face, especially Josh from For Better or Worse. It was hilarious to see their meddling in Logan's and Alexis' love life and the way that they protected each other during tough times. It will be sad to let them go with such a heartwarming group of people.<br /><br />Overall, this book is a 3.5-4 star read. To Love and to Cherish unfortunately, didn't live up to high expectations following the previous book but a great read nonetheless. On the other hand, it was a great way to end the Wedding Belles series and is a very enjoyable romance story that did a wonderful job of tying all loose ends. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a Lauren Layne series or wants a good romance.<br /><i><br />Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i></div>
vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-78188361417791707702016-09-22T21:34:00.000-04:002016-09-22T21:34:41.403-04:00J.C. Braswell Q&A<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Below is a Q&A that I had with long time author J.C. Braswell. He has just released his book Reignfall and in honor of this release, we're going to post this special Q&A session. </div>
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<a href="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1471979265l/31625993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Reignfall" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1471979265l/31625993.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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Reignfall is released <b>today</b>! If you want to buy this book, click the link to go to <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0997990902/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_ca-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=330641" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and if you want to learn more click here to go to the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31625993-reignfall" target="_blank">Goodreads page</a>. It is a book that I recommend you try as it is a great way to dive into this new genre. I hope you enjoy reading the answers below and if you want to read my review, <a href="http://wintereading.blogspot.ca/2016/08/reignfall.html" target="_blank">click here</a>!</div>
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<b>1. What prompted you to become an author? </b><br />The desire to open people’s minds about a variety of subjects. Writing is an extremely persuasive tool. Also, CS Lewis and my mother played a huge role in it as well. <br /><b><br />2. How did you become an author?</b><br />I still don’t consider myself an author. I think it’s one of those titles readers give you.<br />
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<b>3. What does your family think of your writing?</b><br />They’re
all encouraging to varying degrees. My mom was the first believer. I
know my wife is proud of me. I think she carries my mother’s torch in
that regard.<br />
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<b>4. How do you get over writer's block?</b><br />I’m really not sure. I
know if I ever find myself at an impasse with a story I usually get
another cup of coffee. That usually helps me out.<br /><br /><b>5. What else have you written (essays, novellas, etc)?</b><br />Besides some extremely dry articles in academic legal journals, I have two short stories coming out with Scarlett Galleon Press. One is titled Netherlands and will be released in the October anthology Dark Hallows II. The other is titled Rise of Finfolkaheem and is schedule to be part of a two volume set titled Fearful Fathoms. I believe that will come out early 2017. I also wrote a series of short stories last year and combined them in a middle grade/young adult novel titled The Lighthouse Keeper.<br />
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<b>6. What is your schedule for writing? Do you have a lot time for other things (hobbies, work, events)?</b><br />I
stick to Stephen King’s 2,000 words a day when I’m writing. I think
that’s the gold standard. It’s not nearly as time consuming as editing. I
do find time for my family as they’re the most important thing to me. <br /><b> </b><br />
<b>7. How did you come up with this idea for Reignfall?</b><br />The seeds were definitely planted by my wife. While we were drinking beer during a happy hour my wife looked over at me and started talking about eternal life. Like everyone does when they’ve had a couple, we got into a fairly deep theological discussion about it. I started mapping out a story in my head that grew into Reignfall. <br /><br /><b>8. Are the views of main characters in this story a representation of your views?</b><br />You can find some of my ideology within several characters throughout the story. I tried not to focus my personal views—political, religious, or otherwise—inside one character’s point of view, rather spread them out. But, yeah, they are definitely in there. Even Sullivan captures a couple of my viewpoints. Overall, I wanted to capture a variety of viewpoints from all spectrums of life. I think it would be a disservice, given the nature of the story, to do otherwise.<br />
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<b>9. If you have to pick your favorite character, who would it be and why?</b>It would be easy to say Crixtian. He’s a flawed protagonist but not in the stereotypical sort of way. There’s a raw honor to him that he has trouble understanding. It also helps to know his eventual story arc in my head. But at this point in the story, I would have to say Jedediah Bane. I think his personal path of redemption mixed with obsession is a griping arc. I love where he goes in the second book. President Sullivan is a close second. Without giving too much away, I think he really captures the essence of how power and temptation can corrupt the most noble of people. <br /><br /><b>10. What future books do you have planned?</b><br />I have a supernatural thriller titled Ghosts of My Lai coming out this winter, probably near Christmas. It follows group of American soldiers in Vietnam who get lost under unusual circumstances after the massacre at My Lai. Then there’s Reignfall’s sequel A Time For War which I’ll release next year. The first few drafts are finished, and I’m really looking forward to how the story grows. I could talk about the other fourteen novels I’ve drafted, but I’m really focused on My Lai and A Time For War during the coming months. <br /><br /><b>11. What genre of books do you tend to write in?</b><br />Sci-Fi thrillers, Supernatural thrillers, some MG/YG fantasies. <br /><br /><b>12. If you have to pick a favorite book, what would it be?</b><br />It’s a draw between The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. Lewis because of the symbolism and Hemingway because of the way he writes and the romantic story. I really love that story. <br /><br /><b>13. If you have to collab with one author, who would it be?</b><br />I think it's going to be Ronald Malfi eventually. We already floated a dark comedy novel about zombies on the Titanic. Yeah, we need to write that book. <br /><br /><b>14. How can readers discover more about you and you work?</b><br />Everything about my writing is at my website www.jcbraswell.com. You can also follow me on twitter (buyer beware) at @JC_Braz. There’s really not much to me. I’m just some ordinary guy. <br /><br /><b>15. Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?</b><br />Yes, thank you for inviting me onto your blog. I certainly appreciate the time you took to review the novel. The most important part of writing is the readers. A writer cannot thank their readers enough. A writer is essentially inviting others into their mind who don’t have to accept your invitation.<br /><br />
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Thank you J.C. Braswell for doing this interview! I will definitely
reading the next book after Reignfall and trying out some of his other
books. I hope this has motivated you to give this book a read!</div>
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<i>He is also having a giveaway on his Goodreads page which can be accessed
with the link above. If you don't have a Goodreads account, then
comment below and I'll see if I can get a giveaway running here.</i></div>
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vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-67226883712649152812016-09-21T19:26:00.003-04:002016-09-21T19:26:59.225-04:00The Written Hand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I recently had the project of making a representation of the number six. Instead of using the actual number I used one of the meanings, which is harmony. So below I'm showing some of the steps that I took to make the completed picture...<br />
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...It is a very long process but doesn't take too much skill. First, draw an outline of the hand, then fill it in with words. Then go and draw thin lines if the words didn't shade properly. Finally color in the hand any color. Then create a contrasting background. Finally paint in the fire with a variety of colors (even if you think they don't work well together, you can be surprised) and enhance with pencil crayon. </div>
vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-87742397786305547302016-09-05T16:58:00.002-04:002016-09-05T16:58:56.441-04:00Remember <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1458953737l/12781016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Remember" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1458953737l/12781016.jpg" width="133" /></a><u><b>Remember Summary: </b></u><br />
When sixteen year old Charlize finds herself unmistakably lost in the forest with no memory how she got there, it was easy for her to assume the angel face boy who saves her was there to. But little did she know that couldn’t be further from the truth.<br /><br />With a brush of death, she finds new reasons to live after the unexplained death of her father. Her only regret in last three years was letting the one boy she could have loved get away.<br /><br />Plunged into a world not of her making, there are those that will hunt her, a foe that calls her Little Queen, and her torn heart. Most of all, she will have to remember and face her memories if she is to survive.<br />
<u><b>Remember Review: </b></u><br />
Remember turned out to be worse than Through the Lens. While the plot and story was there for Through the Lens, it was clearly missing from Remember. Through 80% of the story we are dragged along as Charlize tries to find out what is happening to her. The next 20% is a bucket load of information that is dumped on us, adding to the confusion. The romance was irritating and the character development was almost non-existent. <br /><br />
I get the Charlize woke up with amnesia, but the lack of emotion throughout this story plus <b>not knowing what is supposed to be happening</b> dragged out what should have been a quick read. On top of that we have a love triangle with two guys were not more ill suited towards her. One was the mysterious bad boy, but came off weak and moody. Then there was the childhood friend that was secretly in love with her, who could not figure out who to love. And their version of love was downright cheesy and hard to get over. <br /><br />
Charlize was not much better. She is a beautiful 17 year old girl who, obviously doesn’t realize that she is so attractive to others. She can’t understand why so many guys are suddenly falling in love with her. I could understand that she’s shy and all, but this type of characterization is overdone and boring in the YA genre. It was not used well in this book. This lead to a lot of eye rolling moments. <br /><br />The one really good think about this book is the paranormal aspect of it which doesn’t show up until the 80% mark. We are introduced to vampires, shifters, Nephilim, angels which made everything much more interesting. It would have been nice for that part to be elaborated on so the book could actually be Paranormal YA. Also, there was the prophecy that came close to the end which really shouldn’t have been part of this book. It was just there to set up a sequel because the ending was so rushed. <br /><br />Overall, this book is 1.5 star read. The plot was too fast or too slow, the romance was annoying, the characters were unrelatable, but the premise was interesting. <br /><br /><i>Thank you to Netgalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review!</i></div>
vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-18830405376072182792016-09-05T13:21:00.000-04:002016-09-05T13:22:08.808-04:00Through the Lens (Through the Lens #1) <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1403970282l/13407712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Through the Lens (Through the Lens, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1403970282l/13407712.jpg" width="132" /></a><u><b>Through the Lens Summary: </b></u><br />
Being a twin isn’t all that bad, nor is it all that good. Being the fat twin makes things a little worse. Seventeen year old, Jessa Shelby has been all but ignored. Trimmed down, but not skinny like her sister, she has decided to make her mark in her final year in high school.<br />
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Things begin anew the summer before her senior year when she meets Ethan Hart, a super hot boy with a twisted past. Unfortunately, he has a girlfriend. Relegated to friend status with Ethan, she turns her eyes on football jock, Josh Macon, whose crush worthy too. No longer the ‘fat girl’, Josh seems to be interested in her too.<br />
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Spending more and more time with Ethan causes unexpected complications and she finds herself falling for the wrong boy. Josh is sweet but wants more than she can give. His warning about Ethan’s past may have come too late. And gasping for air with a noose around her neck, she has to wonder if trust came at a very high price.<u><b><br /></b></u><br />
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<u><b>Through the Lens Review: </b></u><br />
Through the Lens is the type of read that I would love because it is of a woman standing up for herself and finding her own identity. This part was spectacular and I loved every moment of it. Unfortunately, it was overshadowed by the mystery aspect and the constant grammar mistakes didn’t help either. <br /><br />The mystery itself was really interesting. With one of Ethan’s friends disappearing, the suspense of Jessa trying to solve this had all the ingredients for a good mystery. If this story had had just a bit more detail, then it could have been its own book. Since it was part of Through the Lens it should have not been so prominent because as this was happening, the love story was also developing. Neither story got the attention they deserved which left the book feeling a little lackluster. <br /><br />The romance part was spectacular. I am officially a die hard romance fan so I love when two people who couldn’t be more different found each other and themselves. Ethan and Jessa faced many obstacles, the biggest being the mystery, and still came to each other. <br /><br />The characters were amazing because they had the depth of real people. They reacted as ordinary people and had problems that we could relate to. I loved Jessa especially because of her backstory and how she handled her new life and love. <br /><br />Even with all these good qualities, the biggest drawback of this novel is the grammar. This isn’t an ARC, which may have grammar mistakes because it isn’t the final draft. This is the final copy which means that there should be missing words, punctuation or improper usage of words. It does take away from the story but if you can overlook all that the is quite enjoyable. <br /><br />Overall, Through the Lens is a three star read. The story and romance was captivating but the grammar and the overbearing mystery story line made it into a bit of a disappointment. I do recommend this book as many did enjoy it. <br /><br />
<i>Thank you to Netgalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review!</i></div>
vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-7925158271710328872016-08-31T14:48:00.002-04:002016-09-22T21:39:28.615-04:00Reignfall <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1471979265l/31625993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Reignfall" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1471979265l/31625993.jpg" width="131" /></a><u><b>Reignfall Summary:</b></u><br />
One hundred years removed from the second Black Plague, America’s population concentrates in massive urban hubs, dependent on the corporation known as GenoSix to produce X-2, a serum engineered to suppress the plague by halting the aging process. Alcatraz guard Crixtian Donovan ignores the politics of it all. He’s content with working overtime for his wife’s next injection. But after she's arrested for a crime she didn't commit, Crixtian discovers the truth behind America’s recovery.<br />
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The self-proclaimed “Curer of the Masses” President Sullivan holds court from Chicago. Sullivan's regime uses X-2 as a tool to maintain his several-decades-long presidency and crush those who would challenge his rule. Many have tried. All have fallen. Yet murmurs of an uprising fester within the Fringe, one that involves a ghost from Crixtian’s past, a ghost that will cast him into the middle of a rebellion that will change the country forever.<br />
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With America on the brink of revolution, two men will navigate the fate of Sullivan’s tattered red, white, and blue. One will decide how to punish. The other must choose between self-preservation and embracing the revolution by forsaking his wife. <u><b><br /></b></u><br />
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<u><b>Reignfall Review:</b></u><br />
I'm going to keep this one really short. The book had a really interesting concept and this is definitely different than what I usually read. I kept thinking it would be similar to World War Z (I'm not very diverse in this area) but it went into a more political route then expected. From there were are thrown into the action and it does not stop until the very end. <br /><br />I liked the diverse array of characters that all proved unique and captivating. All of them drew you in, even, the side characters you may have thought insignificant and the villain. The hero was a strong character that makes you want to rally behind him and interested to see how he tackles each problem. <br /><br />Overall, this book is a four star read. I felt that it was a little too long for me so I got a bit bored at some parts. Other than that, the book was really good. <br /><br /><i>Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i></div>
vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-2515532222280801072016-08-31T14:15:00.000-04:002016-08-31T14:16:42.917-04:00Into Aether (The Trinity Key, #1) <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1459355404l/29743178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Into Aether (The Trinity Key, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1459355404l/29743178.jpg" width="133" /></a><u><b>Into Aether Summary: </b></u><br />
Colorado teen Theodora (Theo) will do anything to find her missing mom, including travel into the hidden and mysterious Victorian subculture of Aether. She takes a ride with airship pirates to a floating island full of strange automatons and even stranger people. <br />
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After a century-old feud reignites, she uncovers the alarming truth about her family's past. Finding her mother is more important than ever.
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<br /><u><b>Into Aether Review: </b></u><br />Into Aether is an interesting first book in a new magical series. It wasn’t a spectacular read but that is to be expected in the first book of a series because we need to get introduced to all the characters and world. It was pretty good, with the captivating premise that with the right world building could become a spectacular book in the second book. <br /><br />The characters were an interesting mix that contrasted each other and were different then I had read before. Characters like Auntie Grace or her boyfriend really were unique and made the book feel different. Theo was a strong character because she took her life into her own to find her mother and complete the journey. The only thing I could say was irritating about her is the fact that she seems so similar to a lot of other YA heroines. Maybe the next book will change that. </div>
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<br />The plot from the very beginning is fast paced with the first line being "Mom, where are you?". From there Theo is constantly facing action, suspense and a really fantastic adventure. There was one problem with the insta-love but that is to be expected from a YA book. Other than that, the world that was created by Fry is amazing. I can't wait to dive back into it in the next book!<br /><br /> Overall, this book is a 3.5 star read. It was a little rough with the love story but the book has promise that I hope happens in the next book. If you like YA books or the setting for the book then this is definitely a book you should try out. <br /><br /> <i>Thank you to Netgalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review! </i></div>
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vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214805770243747134.post-65236457340973844202016-08-29T22:40:00.003-04:002016-08-29T22:40:58.163-04:00Dragonmark (Dark Hunters #27)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1446513077l/23492109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dragonmark (Dark-Hunter, #26; Dragons Rising, #1; Lords of Avalon, #5)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1446513077l/23492109.jpg" width="134" /></a><u><b>Dragonmark Summary:</b></u><br />
Centuries ago, Illarion was betrayed– a dragon made human against his will, then forced to serve humanity as a dragonmount in their army, and to fight for them in barbaric wars, even while he hated everything about them. Enslaved and separated from everyone he knew and from his own dragon brothers, he was forced into exile in a fey realm where he lost the only thing he ever really loved.<br />
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Now he has a chance to regain what’s been lost— to have the one thing he covets most. But only if he gives up his brothers and forsakes the oaths he holds most dear. Yet what terrifies him most isn’t the cost his happiness might incur, it’s the fact that there is just enough human in his dragon’s heart that he might actually be willing to pay it and betray everything and everyone– to see the entire world burn...
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<u><b>Dragonmark Review:</b></u><br />
I went into this book thinking that it would be horrible because everyone said that it was an exact copy of Son of No One and Dragonbane. It actually turned out to be better than I originally thought but it wasn't as spectacular as the previous books in the series. The parts that were unique were very interesting and moved at a very fast paced. <br /><br />Edilyn proved to be an amazing heroine. The best part of her was that she was treated as a pariah in her community and plans to be the best in her horrible situation. She is incredibly inspiring because she does not turn into a vindictive (excuse my language) bitch. She never acted superior and kept all of her morals to not only help herself but others. When she first meets Illarion, in disguise, she treats him with the same respect as she would anyone else. Even when he turns into a dragon, she treats him as a person instead of a thing. Edilyn remains honorable, caring, decisive and kick-assy from beginning to end. She comes off as a perfect heroine even with all her flaws. <br /><br />Illarion comes off as a nice hero but I think there was something missing. He seems so similar to previous heroes because of their tortured past and never being touched by a loving hand. This book didn't have too much of that angst which I enjoyed. His past did reveal some nice secrets or hints that I'll talk about below. It was nice to see a human (part kikimary) fall in love with a dragon. While Maxis was okay with being human, Illarion despises it so this book is literally about a human falling in love with a dragon. <br /><br /> Their loyalty to each other, like Styxx and Bethany, was extraordinary and strengthened by the fact that they always talked about their problems. The main problem was their romance was falling in love within three hours which really pushes the idea of insta-love. But their path to trust is the one that will draw you in. And this made the plot interesting and unique. Saying that the ending especially came off as haphazardly put together because of it's incredibly fast pace and nothing being explained properly. It came off as unsatisfactory and failed to bring us back in for the conclusion (I'm talking about the last bit of the book that was original). <br /><br />I didn't actually mind the recap of the previous book too much because it has been one year since Dragonbane came out and two years since Son of No One came out. It provided some important facts that we discovered in the series and made it so I didn't need to re-read the previous books. Saying that, I still don't fully understand why it is there. I get that it showed once again, all the tidbits we learned but some of it wasn't even in Illarion's perspective. If it were in Illarion's perspective, we would have gotten more than a "Illarion thought" or "Illarion winced" and left out a lot of the scenes that were included. It should have proved more depth into his thoughts. We could have even skipped all of that entirely and gone into what Edilyn has been doing this whole time. That would have proved much more interesting because even when she comes back we don't know what happened. <br /><br />Even when we had stories that went back in time, like Styxx and Bad Moon Rising, they were done in the POV of the character and in such a way that brought a new light to previous events. It wasn't done in here and that did not engage me as much as it should have. I and many other fans would gladly wait longer for her books just so that we can get a spectacular book that really hasn't come since Styxx. It wouldn't matter how long a book takes to come out, just look at ASOIAF which can take up to five years for the next book to come out, as long the book is amazing! I honestly believe that Kenyon is a fantastic author, but her books are just not the same and something, maybe more time on the writing or writing more of the main couples' history/story, should be taken to bring it back.<br />
<br />Overall, this book was a three star read. The first in the Dark-Hunter series and within any of her main series actually. I'm done trying to nitpick for the good stuff and hopefully the next books turn out to be much stronger. Below I'm going to talk about any hidden tidbits from this book so <b>beware of spoilers below</b>.<b> </b><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><b> </b>Xyn seems very likely as Urian's heroine because she's a dragon that is missing, which might explain the Dragon Rising. It also means that last of the siblings (Illarion, Falcyn and Maxis) has found a mate. Finally, it should explain Falcyn's comment saying he's not the only one to change into human form (not including Illarion or Maxis).</li>
<li>Suriyel seems to be Maxis' father. We only know of four Arels at this time and by looking at their descriptions and their appearances lead me to believe that they could be related. The only thing left to find it is the mother who still seems to be hiding. </li>
<li>Savitar's action led to the death of the first Malachai, who is Braith's son which would explain why she hates him so much. </li>
<li>Thorn and Karma definitely have something going on because of the looks they keep passing to each other. </li>
<li>Urian might have the ability to shape shift into a dragon like Stryker does, which may explain why his book doesn't start with dragon like the Dragonbane, Dragonmark and Dragonsworn. </li>
<li>Aeron's two friends seem to be Kaziel and Vawn which means that Kaziel's story is probably going to come up in the LoA series. </li>
<li>All the baddies are getting together: Apollo, Morgen, Kessar and maybe Noir later in the series. This will strengthen the lines between good and evil which means a conclusion is on the horizon. </li>
<li>I read somewhere that Nick is the last ark so that means his is the last book in the series and with everyone coming together that may be happening quicker than we thought. </li>
<li>Savitar can make mates, something only the Greeks were supposed to do. And he can see any possible outcome of the future and that's why he stays by himself on the island which will prove interesting when trying to find his heroine. </li>
</ol>
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vv ravinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08930249948777596976noreply@blogger.com0