Trial by Moon

Trial by Moon

Episode One of the Trial Series

By Lizzy Ford

5 Bookgasums

3 men, 3 trials, 3 choices

“A vampire, werewolf and a Fae walked into a bar….”  Sounds like the beginning of a great joke, instead it is the beginning of a great story filled with mystery, age old riddles, and even a little romance.  Ms. Ford story intrigued me from the beginning and held me tight so that I had to keep reading.  In fact, I read this book straight through.

Deception, rules, and mysteries abound.  Every turn has your mind whirling. You will want to cheer and yet hold back because you know there is more to hear and learn.  The Kingmaker must complete 4 trials in order to pick the next king.  This trial has to do with the werewolves and finding out more about herself, her father, and her birth right.

I found no grammar, spelling or formatting issues which for me makes it an ‘A’ right away.  Nothing like errors to slow down or pull you completely out of the story, this was not the case with this story.  There was just enough description for me to see everything and not so much I got bored or tried to skip ahead.  The characters became real for me and had me cheering and booing them as the story progressed.

I am just blown away and I don’t want to leave this world Ms. Ford has woven around me.   I cannot wait to delve into the other 3 trails to find out what happens next.  I cannot say it well enough.  This was an excellent book that I would want to buy in hardback to be able to read it again.  I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review and I am very happy to say this book earned its 5 Bookgasums.

http://www.amazon.com/Trial-Moon-Book-1-ebook/dp/B017FCM1QG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446474182&sr=1-1&keywords=trial+by+moon

Recombinant

Recombinant

Book 1 of the Blood Borne Series

Shannon Mayer & Denise Grover Swank

Bookgasums

Don’t be a nincompoop and pass up this book.

This is the first book in the new collaborated series Blood Borne.  I was unsure how the book would be; even though I love both of the authors other works.  I just didn’t know how two people could each write parts and then have all the parts work together seamlessly.  I am glad to say the authors did a fabulous job of creating a full and rich story.

The book started out as more of a regular crime novel with a man looking into the front window of a Victoria’s Secret within a mall.  Yes, the first chapter was about vampires but it still seemed so ordinary and common, not what I would expect from a paranormal story. This is not a bad thing; it was just not what I had expected.

Each chapter is from one of the two main characters point of view.  I am not a fan of this style as it makes the reading choppy which in turn makes it harder for me to get drawn into the story and the characters world.  There were a few spelling and/or word usage errors in the first two chapters that also made my reading flow stumble.

It was great finding and reading a book with not one but two strong female leads.  The characters were well fleshed out making me want to find out more about them.  What happened in Iraq?  How were the hunters trained and by whom?  There is a lot more to learn about each of the ladies and I cannot wait to find out more.

I did receive an ARC for a honest review. 

http://www.amazon.com/Recombinant-Blood-Borne-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01419N72S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1445258320&sr=1-1&keywords=recombinant

The Veil

The Veil

Book 1 of the Devil’s Isle Series

Chloe Neill

4 Stars

A thin line is the only thing that protects us

When I first got the book I was hesitant to read it.  I thought for sure I wouldn’t like it, whether that was due to the title or the cover I don’t know.  What finally got me to read it was the author, Chloe Neill.  Now I don’t mean we talk about my worries, I mean that I am a fan of hers.  She has another series, the Chicagoland Vampires.  I love this series with the great detail to the descriptions,  the wonderfully developed characters, and a little humor and romance interweaved with the action and suspense.

I will admit I wasn’t hooked by this book.  I have read other books that take place in New Orleans and I always have a problem seeing the scene.  I am sure this is one of the reasons I had difficulty getting into the story.  For me the Devil’s Isle reminded me of a prison of war camp from WWII and this was my biggest issue.

However, I did like the characters and I want to learn more about Clair and her tinkering skills and hear more about all the treasures in her shop.  I will be ordering the second book in the Devil’s Isle series.

I did not notice any grammar or spelling issues, which is a big pet peeve for me.  If I have to stop reading to give a word or sentence a second look, it pulls me out of the world created in the book.  Overall, it was a well written story and you should take a chance on it.  I give the book 4 stars.

http://www.amazon.com/Veil-Devils-Isle-Novel-ebook/dp/B00OQS4GCK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1444760004&sr=1-1&keywords=the+veil+chloe+neill

Firestorm

Firestorm

The Elemental Series

Book 3

Shannon Mayer

5 Bookgasums

Each book in this series just gets better and better.

For me the character development was slow in the beginning but now I am at that point where I find myself wanting to yell at some of the characters and hug others.  I feel there is a complete, full development of the characters, the setting and the story in general.

I like how the character names in each ‘family’ comes from the element they embody. I could not wait to see what names Ms Mayer came up with for the Fire family as I was having a hard time trying to figure out fire names.

The story pace is steady and action packed with intrigue and a budding romance mixed in.  I did not notice any major grammar errors or I am so enthralled by the story I do not even notice them.

I cannot wait to find out more of Lark’s story, especially since I know where she will end up in the future.  I also want to learn more about the old recluse wolf who has been helping Lark along the way.

If you want to find out more, please check out Ms Mayer’s other fantastic series with the Tracker Rylee and her Scooby-Doo like band of friends.  You will not be disappointed.

Recurve:  http://www.amazon.com/Recurve-Elemental-Book-Shannon-Mayer-ebook/dp/B00TKK41LA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1443193151&sr=1-1&keywords=recurve+the+elemental+series+book+1

Breakwater:  http://www.amazon.com/Breakwater-Elemental-Book-Shannon-Mayer-ebook/dp/B00XCZNXYU/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1443193151&sr=1-2&keywords=recurve+the+elemental+series+book+1

Firestorm:  http://www.amazon.com/Firestorm-Elemental-Book-Shannon-Mayer-ebook/dp/B013FLLW70/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1443529006&sr=1-1&keywords=firestorm+shannon+mayer

Red Hot Candy

Red Hot Candy Analogy

Braving Love

SJ Mayer

For the last 20 years I have only read paranormal but when I saw one of my favorite authors had a story in this analogy I figured I would show my support.  I am so glad I read her story.  It was a story very close to my own heart.

“Too bad one stunt gone wrong could put a man out of the game for good”.  This quote really stuck a cord with me and by changing a few words this sentence can be applied to all of us at some point in time.  We must all remember to tread carefully yet live fully each and every day.

I found no issues with grammar, spelling or formatting.  I was able to read the entire story in one sitting without needing to stop to re-read or to figure out what the author was trying to say.  For me, this automatically gives the book a 4 bookgasum rating.  Add a great story line, originality and great character development and the story gets a 5 bookgasum rating.

I look forward to reading more from SJ Mayer .

http://www.amazon.com/All-New-Delicious-Romance-Best-Selling-Billionaires-ebook/dp/B010II27V8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1438106109&sr=1-1&keywords=red+hot+candy

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/red-hot-candy/id1013912356?mt=11

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Udderly Fantastic

Some Were In Time: Shift Happens Book 2

Robyn Peterman

WTF agents, wedding dresses, and were cows

Were cows are more dangerous than were dragons.  Who knew?

I just love the quirky humor and the potty mouth words that make you wonder if they really count as bad words. 

“I’d bet my left boob, it’s the bigger one, that they know what     happened.”

"It's gonna be a cluster womper of a bunghole….”

I have previously read book one in this series, Ready to Were, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Robyn has again hit it out of the park.  This latest episode does not disappoint with action and quirkiness grabbing you from the first page.  I laughed so hard in places that I had to blink the tears out of my eyes in order to keep reading.

Of course, there are also great lessons to learn within the pages.  Such as, it is always polite to wear panties while trying on wedding dresses.  Now, that is a great piece of wisdom.

The storyline was unique.  I did not have to stop due to editing or formatting issues.  The descriptions were great.  I picked this book up and did not sit it down until I had finished the entire story.

Book 2: Some Were in Time

http://www.amazon.com/Some-Were-Time-Shift-Happens-ebook/dp/B00XLKHXPG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1435256606&sr=1-1

Book 1: Ready to Were

http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Were-Shift-Happens-Book-ebook/dp/B00PD8LQ6G/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1435256606&sr=1-2