Taken (Channie 2)

Title: Taken (Channie #2)

Author: Charlotte Abel
Kindle edition
Published 2012

Bound by love and magic. Betrayed by those they trust. Not everyone survives. 

Gasp-out-loud action, heart-pounding romance and an OMG ending that leaves you hungry for the next book.

This is the second book from the Channie series, a darker and more fierce story than the first. I like this more than Enchantment, the first one, simply because Taken had all the spices I need in a story - romance, comedy, action, adventure, family issues, suspense and  paranormal.

In the first book, Channie had been a mage and Josh was a biker/racer enthusiast, until their paths crossed and thing weren't the same ever again. An unfortunate event had made Channie an Empty- a play on the word magically disabled or MD. She was unfortunately stripped off her powers, while Josh soon discovered that he was a royal mage, belonged to a powerful family of mages. He was given a power name and had acquired his powers. Channie and Josh became a couple bound in marriage by Aunt Wisdom and through the power of  the moon.

Here in the second book, the couple struggled on their lives while away from their parents. They made progress in their married life but it grew a bit difficult for Channie especially now that she had lost all her magical powers. Her mom, on the other hand became vicious right after she lost the 'Book of the  Dead’. She became the Devil incarnate, in my opinion, who wad willing to sacrifice her own daughter, just to get what she wanted. I hated Channie's mom in the first, but it seemed I abhorred her more in Taken. She was bad to the bone, very very bad. The other characters were also commendable; the Trips (triplets) were growing up as well as their powers. Their mom, Abundance or Abby, finally settled her differences with the triplet's father, another Empty, Diego. And Josh's father was definitely cool.

And this time around, there's more humor, thanks to Hunter and his antics! I loved how he protected Channie in his own little way, saved their asses more than once, and soon discovered his alter-ego and making money out of it. I actually liked Hunter more than Josh.

 But not everyone came out alive in this book. I was heartbroken with the ending :'( This isn't my first Charlotte Abel book and this is definitely not the last. I have read Enchantment during the early part of the year and it left a mark on my Kindle. So I got the second book as well as the other series, River's Recruit.

 Allow me to say then these simple words: Great job, Miss Abel for an entertaining and magically heart-stopping sequel. You made me crave for more! I will definitely read Book 3 Finding Valor so all the questions in my mind would settle down.

Highly recommended to every one who have found and needs to find the  Magic in their lives.


About the author:

Charlotte Abel was born and raised in Oklahoma where she met her soulmate, Pete. She chased him to Boulder, Colorado and finally convinced him they were meant to be together forever. They've raised three kids, two ferrets, three dogs and countless hamsters -- and are still happily married.

She's in love with "real" life and paranormal romance. When she's not reading or writing, Charlotte enjoys hiking, bicycling and primitive archery (although she's never shot at anything other than a target!)

The final book of The Channie Series, "Finding Valor," is now available!

Look for "River's Remorse," the second book of "The Sanctuary Series" in 2014

Friday Finds - July 26

TGIF!!! Thank Goodness, It's Friday ...Weekend, here I come..


Welcome to another edition of Friday Finds sponsored by MizB from Should Be Reading.

FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list…
whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever!
(they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).

Here are my Friday Finds for this week:

Death Whispers by Tamara Rose Blodgett

Family Magic by Patti Larsen

Nobody's Fault by Terry Tyler

Apocalipstick by Sue Margolis

Terra Domina by Max Davine

Enjoy the weekend, everyone!

Monday Reading & Musing

Cheers to another Musing Mondays.  Hooray!

This is a weekly meme hosted by MizB from Should be Reading.

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…

• Describe one of your reading habits.

• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).

• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!

• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.

 • Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!

Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

 This week, it would be again a combined meme, because I joined It's Monday! What Are You Reading? Meme which would be the answer to my Monday Musing..

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

This fantastic meme is now hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.

For this week-opener, I am reading the very controversial crime novel, The Cuckoo's Calling.. Yes, everybody has been talking about this, and I'm one of those nosey and curious bookworm, so I got it for Kendra (my Kindle).

A brilliant debut mystery in a classic vein: Detective Cormoran Strike investigates a supermodel's suicide. You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this.

 The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, who turned out to be JK Rowling.

My thoughts on this.. later!


MY Recently Finished Books:

 

Tremble by Addison Moore

Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen

Kiss Me by Kristine Mason

  

Happy Monday everyone :)

the dreamer

Do you read online comics? Me? Of course! I love them! And I have my favorite site!

 Six years ago, when I was still working at AOL, my colleague/friend Kristeen Joy told me about a website that's got a character who was having a hard time sleeping because she ends up dreaming about herself in another lifetime, with a man in her arms, during the Revolutionary War.

 I was intrigued with the concept so I went to this website: http://www.thedreamercomic.com/

...and discovered one of the best and became one of my favorite online comics from the talented Lora Innes.. :)

Six years later, and counting, Lora Innes continues to rock my webcomic world and had received numerous awards. Yay!

Intrigued, are you now? Come on and catch / read the episodes on The Dreamer" and swoon!

Here's a synopsis , in case you're wondering:

Beatrice "Bea" Whaley seems to have it all; the seventeen-year-old high school senior is beautiful, wealthy and the star performer of the drama club. And with her uncle’s connections to Broadway theater, the future looks bright ahead of her. Little does she know that her future might actually be brighter behind her. Bea begins having vivid dreams about a brave and handsome soldier named Alan Warren—a member of an elite group known as Knowlton's Rangers that served during the American Revolutionary War. Prone to keeping her head in the clouds, Bea welcomes her nightly adventures in 1776; filled with danger and romance they give her much to muse about the next day. But it is not long before Beatrice questions whether her dreams are simply dreams or something more. Each night they pick up exactly where the last one ended. And the senses—the smell of musket shots and cannons, the screams of soldiers in agony, and that kiss—are all far more real than any dream she can remember.

Lora Innes graduated Suma Cum Laude in 2002 from the Columbus College of Art and Design with a Bachelors in Fine Art. She worked for several years at the Artifact Group, doing illustration for clients such as Fisher Price, Mattel, McGraw Hill, Nickelodeon, Scholastic and Simon & Schuster. Now she writes and draws The Dreamer and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

TT: Rebel Angels

Cheers to another great Tuesday. Yay!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Grab your current read.
Open to a random page.
Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

(make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's mine for this week:

That is all I remember when I wake each morning before dawn, gasping and covered in perspiration, more tired than when I went to bed. They are only dreams. Then why do they leave me feeling so troubled?

from page 15 of the book:
REBEL ANGELS by Libba Bray

Rebel Angels is the sequel to A Great Terrible Beauty from the Gemma Doyle / Realms trilogy

White Heaven Women

Title: White Heaven Women
Author: Jessie B. Tyson
EBook, 195 pages
Published August 2012

My e-book copy was provided by the author herself, Ms. Jessie B. Tyson, in exachage of an honest review.

summary from goodreads.com

Separated by Death, Reunited by Fate…
In the year 1899, in Whitehaven, Cumbria, UK, Lady Constance Witherspoon, only 14 years of age, gives birth to twin girls during a tumultuous storm. Lady Elisa (Beth) is born with a diagnosis of demonic possession, while her twin, Lady Sarah, is crushed and killed when the ceiling collapses in the storm.
In the year 2000, Sally Witherspane returns home to Whitehaven and is haunted by relentless nightmares about demons and a baby crushed at birth. To discover the meaning of these dreams, she seeks the help of the local psychic, who instructs Sally to attend a past life meeting. It is there that Sally meets Beth Witherspoon.
Persuaded by a ghostly blue apparition, Sally documents a family history filled with deception, abuse and an ancient evil, and she must summon strength and faith to become the woman she is destined to be, one of the last descendants of the White Heaven Women.

White Heaven Women is a very welcome addition to my growing list of beloved books. Debut author, Jessie B. Tyson makes the reader feel the emotions that the characters were expressing. I found myself shivering a couple of times, and I was even afraid to fall asleep, for fear of having nightmares, which was how the story of White Heaven Women began.

One stormy night, the main character, Sally Witherspane, was having a bad dream which included a red-eyed devil. On the first night that I read this, it was actually raining in our place, much like the rain that Sally had always feared. When I realized this is actually a paranormal novel, I prepared myself for a tumultuous evening. But I stopped at Chapter 3, because I thought I heard something moving outside my bedroom windows. I freaked out! OMG, I thought I could never sleep again. Yes, I was such a coward. Ha! Anyway, the next day, in the afternoon, I continued reading and didn't stop until I was finished.

White Heaven Women is very easy to read and quick-paced. From the moment the author told me of her Audio/Video clip on youtube about the story behind the blue ghosts of Whitehaven, I got intrigued and knew this was going to be a good read. I listened to Jessie's voice five(5) times until I read her book, so her voice was floating in my head while I encountered Sally's nightmares and discoveries.  The first part of the book got to me. The retelling of the events that happened a century ago was heartbreaking - the untimely conception of a child, the gossips in the neighborhood, the death of a newborn child, the non-acceptance in the family - all of which were just so sad.

Yet, it was truly a great experience reading a book that talked about reincarnation, love between a mother and a child, the acceptance and abomination of a sickness of a child and the finding of true love. There was character development as the story progresses which was a good thing. The idea of reincarnation was not new to me, as I believe that I was also a "someone" in my past life. Whoever he or she may have been, I think he or she would be pleased to know that I live, lived and definitely will live my life to the fullest.

Kudos to Jessie Tyson for a haunting yet satisfyingly delightful story. I loved the ending, too! You are a great storyteller, your knowledge of supernatural elements in the story were a good concept and it thrilled me to know that it was based on a true-to-life experience. And thank you for taking me to Cumbria, surely it is a magical place; a place I would love to go to in the future. Bravo Jessie, for a compelling debut novel!

Here are some more information you need to know about the author:

Jessie B Tyson was born at Scalegill Place near Moor Row, a tiny village between the coast and the mountains in N.W. Cumbria England. In what year? She's a senior and will not divulge that, ladies prerogative but she will be collecting a pension in a few years (grin.) She was educated in her natal area and moved to Canada in the year 2000. Jessie wrote children's and fantasy stories as a teenager. When she matured she moved on to writing adult stories. She has a great imagination and enjoys turning her vision-like dreams into enjoyable tales. Jessie considers herself as a Spiritual Christian, who believes in the Power of God but that doesn't stop her writing paranormal fiction with ghosts and demons! :D Jessie has a wonderful sense of humour, and loves to laugh and tease her friends. She has a generous spirit and will help anyone in need. She has an affinity with animals, especially dogs, cats, horses and dolphins. Jessie abhors all forms of cruelty to any living breathing creature.

Please visit her  author page on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/White-Heaven-Women-ebook/dp/B008SDDGV6

She also uploaded a video there, scroll to bottom right. http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008UKEZVW

Facebook author page:- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessie-B-Tyson-Author/216411575156620

Twitter:- https://twitter.com/JessieBTyson

words from a dreadlocked guy

He sighed, then seemed to size me up. "You know, you're kind of a lily. A steel lily."

"Is that a compliment?"

He laughed. 

"Yeah. At least, that's how I meant it. I mean, you're a girl; you're this beautiful person inside and out, but you hide it. You're hard, or that's what you want people think, anyway. 

That's why I think you are a steel lily. It's the most puzzling thing I've ever seen or experienced. You're...different."

-  * Words from a dreadlocked guy - Jaxon Pierce, while talking to Avery Pike * -

Watch out for Steel Lily, by author Megan Curd, available August 2013 

Check out my review here: Steel Lily

About Megan Curd:

"Like" Megan Curd on Facebook: Facebook

Follow on Twitter: @MeganCurd 

Megan Curd is a graduate of Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota. While having always enjoyed reading any books she could get her hands on, Megan didn’t begin writing until a friend encouraged her to do so while in college.  

When not writing, Megan enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Traveling and snowboarding are hobbies she loves, and doesn’t turn down the opportunity to play xBox with her brother and friends when it presents itself.
Megan currently resides in Stanton, Kentucky with her husband, son, and Great Dane named Dozer.

Steel Lily

Title: Steel Lily (The Periodic series)
Author: Megan Curd
Kindle edition

AVERY PIKE is a commodity. No, more than a commodity. Her existence is guarded at all costs.
She’s a water Elementalist, the strongest of her dwindling kind. She creates steam to provide energy to fuel Dome Three: the only thing standing between humanity and an earth ravaged by World War III. No steam, no Dome. No Dome, no life.
Or so she thinks.
That is, until a mysterious man offers her a way out of having to donate steam. A way to escape the corrupt government of Dome Three. While the offer seems too good to be true, Avery is intrigued.
But when she arrives to her new home, she realizes the grass isn’t any less dead on this side of the fence. Instead, the lies are just hidden better.
…Which means digging deeper.
When Avery enlists the help of her friends to uncover the truth, it may make her wonder if she was better off being a government tool than searching for freedom.
Some secrets are better left concealed, but humankind was never meant to live in a cage. And when you can control the most sought after resource, you can learn to control anything…including the fate of your world.

I received this Advance Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review. As a bookworm, I keep my reviews honest and sincere.

Steel Lily is perhaps the best steampunk-dystopian novel I have ever read. Once again, the author Megan Curd blew me away with her creative and imaginative mind. Not only did she take me to the future, she showed me a whole new world that reeked with greed, betrayal, lies and love.

The story had a futuristic setting (2077 I think) and the events that happened therein were from the aftermath of World War III. The war had caused the Earth to crumple, radiation damaged the atmosphere, caused people to use oxygen masks in order to breathe. We meet Avery Pike, one of the Elementalists who had the ability to manipulate steam that powered the Dome they were living in. She was the reason the people were able to breathe clean air and experience better days. She was the best among the three steam producers and because of that, most people abused or took advantage of her.

She was surprised one day, when she was being followed by an influential man who soon promised her of a better dome, cleaner air, the opportunity to enhance and wield her power and the chance to see her long-lost parents. Although doubtful at first, she consulted her friend Alice about this possibility and soon after, they discovered what it was really about. This was made possible when their savior Jaxon showed up during a Polatzi chase and took them to the mysterious dome.

Cameras everywhere. Holograms covering the ugly truth. A group of other talented people persuaded and gathered for a secret mission.

Such is the situation Avery found herself in. She knew that everything she was offered was too good to be true. It is up to her and Jaxon and their small group of friends to discover the truth and do something right.

I loved Avery! She was, right from the start, a strong, determined and capable heroine. Fierce and loyal, everything you would want in a bestfriend. Jaxon? Ohh, the dreadlocks were to die for! My first time to read something about the main male character having dreads and could still look gorgeous even though he was so annoying and obnoxious. He and Avery were like magnets, exact opposites but definitely attracted to each other. Honestly, my cheeks hurt whenever I read scenes that included both of them. Ha! The other characters were also lovable. I liked Sari a lot. And Legs too!

I enjoyed this book a great deal! I simply cannot compare Steel Lily to anything else because this Megan Curd masterpiece is unique and original. The steampunk-dystopian combo kept me entertained from start to finish. Megan Curd is a talented author who knows her world extremely well; her creative style and uniqueness shone from every page. She had become the Master of Twists and Surprises, a talent I have always admired in Sidney Sheldon and Phillip Pullman (The Golden Compass).

To sum this up, I tell you, this is one book that you must own. I highly recommend this to all steampunk fans, dystopian lovers, YA and even New adults. Basically recommended to everyone! Go put this on your TBR List an get the book when it will be released!

Here's a cocktail toast with 5stars ***** for mega author, Megan Curd and her excellent book! Clearly, Steel Lily is the next book sensation!

Awakening (The Watchers Trilogy)

Awakening (The Watchers Trilogy: Book 1)
Author: Karice Bolton
Kindle edition
Published 2011

Alone in snowy, remote Whistler village, Ana tries to build a new life since losing her parents. With a cozy condo, a sweet-faced bulldog and an evening job to leave the days free for the slopes, life slips into a great routine. If only she could shake the guilt for not remembering anything about her parents and banish the night terrors that haunt her every dream. On a whim, Ana goes out with Athen, a guy she’s just met in the Grizzly Pub... The only problem is that she feels like she already knows him. Within 48 hours of meeting Athen and his family, Ana’s world implodes. She falls for Athen quickly and before she knows it, a past life begins to resurface. As thrilling as the revelations appear at first, she fights against the chilling information that Athen is from the underworld. Soon she begins to struggle as her own supernatural gifts are slowly unveiled, and she realizes that the nightmares she’s been having might be premonitions and not dreams at all. It is up to Ana to decipher between fact and fiction before it is too late, and her new love, Athen, follows in her same fate - one that is lost between two worlds.

In a world where Angels are considered celestial beings, there were three unlikely angels who actually came from the Underworld.

Meet Ana. Mysteriously, she had no memory of her past. She didn’t know her parents and she had no recollection of the events in her younger days, although there were some newspaper clippings that kept her at bay. She also often had nightmares where she saw a man being chased by monstrous creatures. However, she found solace in the diner where she  worked as a waitress. Plus, there was Mathilda, her trusted bulldog companion.

One day, mysteriously again,  there were some strangers that made her feel overwhelmed yet familiar. First she met Cyril and Arie, then soon she met and dated Athen. At first, I thought it was such a whirlwind romance. I raised my eyebrows when Ana readily accepted the three strangers’ invitation to a weekend getaway. I was like, “wow, that was fast.. Really, Ana? In just two days?!…” This is the perfect example of a whirlwind love affair. But I still kept on reading until Ana, and I, learned that they were all angels of the Underworld. Or should I say, White Demons. They are the counterpart and enemies of the Black ones. Soon, reality set in and Ana learned about her powers and whatnots, and embraced the Nephilim in her. It is until I reached the latter part of the book when the bomb was dropped out of nowhere. The ending is definitely something to wait for.

Overall, I liked the story. It was kind of slow in the beginning, I thought, why should the trio of Athen, Cyril and Arie took their time in telling the truth about Ana. If I were in Ana’s shoes, I may have already put handcuffs on the three and would not let them go until they told me everything. But then, that’s just me.

Also, some grammar and typos are quite visible on the book, but I easily ignored these errors because I was entertained. I can’t say much more about the author, Karice Bolton, except that she has a great storytelling techniques. Her vivid description of snow and everything else was fantastic. I look forward to reading the second installment, because as a rule for a bookworm like me, once I start a series, I will do my best to read all of the next. Here’s my 4 star rating for Karice Bolton and Awakening. ****

www wednesday - July 10

Happy Wednesday! Here's my WWW  for this week.  WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

  To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?


Anyway, here are my answers for this week:

Currently Reading: 

White Heaven Woman - by Jessie B. Tyson

The author herself gifted this story to me, so I am very much thankful for trusting me with a review. I hope to finish reading this novel within this week. As a teaser, this is about reincarnation, blue ghosts, reliving past memories and dealing with a not-so-normal life.

Separated by Death, Reunited by Fate…
In the year 1899, in Whitehaven, Cumbria, UK, Lady Constance Witherspoon, only 14 years of age, gives birth to twin girls during a tumultuous storm. Lady Elisa (Beth) is born with a diagnosis of demonic possession, while her twin, Lady Sarah, is crushed and killed when the ceiling collapses in the storm.

Finished Reading:

That would be the next book sensation, Megan Curd's Steel Lily. A very moving tale of love, betrayal, loyalty,

friendship and dedication. I received this book as an advance readers copy from the author herself in exchange of an honest review.

I am telling you, as early as now, that this book deserves a 5 star ***** rating! It is a magnificent steampunk dystopian novel that would literally make your heart skip a beat. :)

A review is on the way. I'll post my thoughts, comments, emotions and everything later. I promise!


Will Read Next...

I am thinking of Tremble by Addison Moore. I really love her writing and I miss her stories so maybe this is going to be the next book I am going to read.

Here's a summary from goodreads.com

TREMBLE is the sequel to ETHEREAL (Celestra Series Book 1)  

Sixteen year-old, Skyla Messenger is determined to bring back the dead. 

For Skyla, being an angel from the coveted Celestra faction hasn't been easy.  

An entire band of wicked angels is after her blood, a Sector is after something far more sinister, and her newfound powers lead her on a quest to save her dead father. 

Skyla and her boyfriend Logan try to piece together a plan to take down the Countenance in order to maintain their relationship, but will Skyla's burgeoning feelings for Gage get in the way? 

And when Skyla decides to use her powerful blood to change the fate of another deceased soul, just who is going to stop her?

Friday Finds - July

My Friday Finds for July 2013; this meme is hosted by MizB.

FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).

What great books did you hear about/discover this past week? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS..

Here are my Friday Finds for the first Friday of July:

Darkening Echoes by Carol Smith - a suspense thriller

Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer - a light read involving cars and shoes

The Summer Country by James A. Hetley - a fantasy

Summer's Child by Luanne Rice & The Shop in Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber

Cruxim: You are Never Alone - Karin Cox

The Time Between - Karen White

Of Triton - Anna Banks

Spies and Prejudice - Talia Vance

An Elegant Madness:

High Society In Regency England

Venetia Murray

Traitor

Traitor (Bridger Book 2)
Author: Megan Curd
Kindle ebook, 290 pages
Published March 17th 2012

Ashlyn never believed in fairy tales until she was in one.  
They say ignorance is bliss, but not when you're on a centuries old hit list...and there's a traitor in your midst. 
Ashlyn must decide what's most important: trusting the allies she has, or siding with those she thought were enemies. Ashlyn knows old friends can turn on her, and unlikely allies may be the best chance she has to piece her family back together. No matter what her choice, she could lose someone she loves. 
And when you don't know who to trust, believe one thing: You can never trust a faerie. 

On this second book, Ashlyn is now officially a Bridger and she continues to struggle with the loss of her father and disappearance of her brother. And there's her internal battle with immortality and desire to keep Liam alive.  The hardships that the lovers have gone through were no joke. Ash would do everything to save her family and her loved ones, even if she had to turn to her enemies and side with them. 

Of course, there are still lots of action-packed sequences right at the beginning of the story. What kept me sane was the thought that there was a traitor in their midst and I didn't stop until I knew who it was. Oh I love the very interesting twists in the end! I was really caught off guard when I learned who the real traitor was. That was just so sick! Lesson learned: Never trust a fairie. Really!

Honestly, I fell in love with the characters more here in the second book. Liam still mesmerizes me with his prowess and undying devotion. Reese..ohh my hero! I am so happy for him! Reese narrating half of the story was wicked. Words are not enough to express how much I loved him in this book.  Memaw, on the other hand, is still one hell of a grandma, but there is something off with her, I just couldn't tell what. and then there's Ankou.. Jamie..Chris..Aiden.. These creatures sent shiver down my spine. But I loved how they were given more importance in this sequel. They had their own distinct personalities and served their purpose in the end.

But is this really the end? No, because there is still a third book and that's what I look forward to. 

Overall, I must say that this is really a very exciting book. I would love to see this on the big screen!  True, Traitor and Bridger are aimed for the younger generation (I'm already in my early 30s, mind you!) but it still captivated me. Megan Curd proves herself to be a master of fantasy / paranormal with her masterfully written sequel. Her writing is stunning and fluid. I really can't wait to read the next book in the series. 

5 stars ***** rating for Megan Curd and a toast for another great story!

The Wanton Bride

Title: The Wanton Bride
(Hunter Brothers #2)
Author: Mary Brendan
Paperback, 273 pages
Published April 1st 2008 by Harlequin

ONE SCANDAL LED TO ANOTHER ...
Mark Hunter managed to vex her at every opportunity --- and seemed to enjoy doing so! However, to prevent a family scandal, Emily Beaumont must turn to him for help. Mark was more than happy to be of service to the delectable Miss Beaumont; with her quick wit and determined spirit she always made deliciously diverting company. But Mark soon discovered that Emily truly was in danger ...
With disgrace just a breath away, Emily ached for Mark's strong arms to comfort her. Yet she held a secret --- one that would surely prevent any gentleman from considering her as a suitable bride.

Once in a while, I read regency novels because I love knowing the cultures and behaviors of people from centuries ago. So I got this Wanton Bride from Harlequin Regency edition at my favorite bookstore and spent an evening with Sir Mark Hunter and the tempting Emily Beaumont.

When Emily's older brother Tarquin went MIA or missing in action, she thought of the worst that her brother could have experienced. Tarquin had been known to accumulate a lot of debts and failed to pay, so this got Emily worried. And when she haven't heard from him for a long time, she thought one of his shenanigans got the worst of him, so Emily finally asked for assistance from an unlikely ally, Sir Mark Hunter. For his part, he was, firstly, hesitant to mingle with her, since he has been reputed to be having another mistress . The fact that Emily seemed to have a reckless attitude towards him, made Mark put her off. Soon he grew quite intrigued with Emily's beauty and aloofness towards him.

While Emily disliked going to Mark for help, she did her best to make sure that her brother was safe from harm. Little did she know that she was going straight to the devil's hands when she thought she was going to her brother's aid. Good thing, Mark was wise and resourceful; he was able to save the damsel in the nick of time. Or was he really the one who saved her?

Amidst the chaos that Tarquin has created is a scandal waiting to be revealed. A secret Emily never wanted anyone else to know. Would she be able to hide the truth from Mark after coming to her aid? And by the way, what's with Emily's family? It didn't look like her father was really concerned about his son's whereabouts. I wonder why.

I liked the story of The Wanton Bride. There were some tensed moments between the characters, as well as romantic suspense. I didn't know that this was actually a sequel to a Hunter trilogy. It's only now that I discovered this info when I was looking for an image to put up here on my blog. So now I need to read the first book so I could understand The Hunter brothers even more.

Let me also say that the author Mary Brendan certainly knew a lot about regency, because I learned a thing or two after reading this book. Looking forward to reading more of her works.

My rating for The Wanton Bride: 4 ****

Tuesday Teasers - July

It's the first Tuesday of the month of July. Time flies so fast! Where have all the months gone?

Today, I am joining a new Tuesday meme aside from Teaser Tuesdays. It's called First Chapter, First Paragraph Intros hosted by Bibliophile by The Sea. You just have to share the first paragraph from the first chapter of the book you are reading.

For my other meme, Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish game, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read.
Open to a random page.
Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
(make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here now is my Tuesday Teaser and First Paragraph Intro this week:

  

Sprinting headlong toward the glowing crack that emerged out of thin air, I willed my spindly legs to go faster. The muscles in my legs cramped and burned, my lungs screamed for more air. Two changelings were behind me, their feet pounding the barren and dusty ground of Neamar. They kept my pace with ease. Feeling their ragged breath on my neck sent shivers up my spine like cockroaches skittering from the light would. I hurled myself forward.

First paragraph from: Traitor (Bridger Book 2) By Megan Curd

What do you think? Was your interest piqued? Mine certainly was, because this is the part where the female main character is either going to charge or retreat back.

Share yours too!

Monday Reads & Musings - July

Welcome to another Musing Mondays. This is a weekly meme hosted by MizB from Should be Reading.

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week… • Describe one of your reading habits.

 • Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).

 • What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it! 

• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.

 • Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us! Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

 This week, it would be a combined meme. Because I am joining It's Monday! What Are You Reading? Meme which would be the answer to my Monday Musing..

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

This fantastic meme is now hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books

I certainly got lots of books, both on my shelf and on Kindle. Today,

it's the first of July, the start of the second half of the year!

Speaking of second half, this month, I am going to read Sequel books. Yes, books that are part of a series or trilogies, those Part 2 Books that I haven't had the chance or time to read.

Today, I am reading Traitor, book 2 of the Bridger series by Megan Curd. Can;t wait to read about Ashlyn and Memaw once again!

And also for the next few days, I will continue with my Princess Diaries - oh, why does it have to have 10 books, Meg Cabot? I'm done with the first 3 books a year ago, only now I realized that I haven't finished reading the rest, so on with the next three. (Mia Goes Fourth, Project Princess & Princess in Pink).