Review: Recurve by Shannon Mayer

Recurve (The Elemental Series #1) by Shannon Mayer

My name is Larkspur, and I am an Elemental. My people use the power of the earth to sustain life and defy our enemies. I should be at my father's side as a royal princess. But as a half-breed, bastard child, that isn't going to happen. I've been accused of attacking the queen, my wicked stepmother, and my life is suddenly on the line. 

I have only two options left to me: banishment, or training to become one of the King's Elite Guards, an Ender. Option one will kill me. Option two is meant to break me, but is the only way to survive. Did I mention I have no power like the rest of the elementals, and my connection to the earth is worth next to nothing? Could things get any worse? Of course they can. Welcome to being an Elemental.

 

 NOTE: I was provided this ARC copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 I've been a follower of Shannon Mayer since the first Rylee Adamson series. I thought I'd never met a woman as fearless and fierce as Rylee. Now, I'm having second thought after reading Recurve. I think Larkspur aka Lark is the new heroine to watch out for.

 Lark is a princess without a crown. She's an Elemental without power. She's serving the Kingdom as a Planter instead of a Royal, simply because she was deemed useless without her elemental gifts. Haunted by her mother & brother's deaths, Lark did her best to be liked and loved by her Father, the King. But after being accused of attacking Queen Cassava, Lark found herself training to become an Ender. That is the only way she'd be able to survive. Little did she know that her decision might just be the catalyst to her death.

 I had a super great time reading Lark and her adventures. Shannon Mayer is a brilliant and impressive author, she immediately sucked me in to her fantastic world. There's so much awesomeness wrapped up in the book. Plus, the names of the characters are really cool and unique. From Cactus, to Coal, Raven to Belladonna, from Granite to Ash, from Fern to Griffin, these amazing Elementals just keep getting better and better.

 Although this first book is a bit longer than usual, Recurve is a pleasure to read. It doesn't feel rushed. Rather, the whole story resonates with substance and every page matters. The ending left an ample room for a sequel. It isn't like those first books where you are really left hanging with those unanswered questions on your mind. Simply put, Recurve is very satisfying.

 The urban fantasy and paranormal elements are intricately woven into the story. That's what makes Recurve an engrossing and heart-pounding read. I guess, many readers would agree with me when I say, Lark has surpassed its predecessor, Rylee.

  

Shannon Mayer lives in the southwestern tip of Canada with her husband, dog, cats, horse, and cows.

When not writing she spends her time staring at immense amounts of rain, herding old people (similar to herding cats) and attempting to stay out of trouble. Especially that last is difficult for her.

Shannon Mayer gained bestselling status with her Rylee Adamson series.

 To learn more about Shannon and her books, go to www.shannonmayer.com To get a taste of The Rylee Adamson Series, check out the cinematic trailer!

Bachelor at her Bidding

Title: Bachelor at her Bidding

(Montana Born Bachelor Auction #2) 

Author: Kate Hardy 

eBook provided by Netgalley 

Published February 27th 2015 by Tule Publishing

How to win a girl in ten cakes…

 

When Dr. Rachel Cassidy comes back to Marietta with a broken heart and a divorce under her belt, going to a Bachelor Auction fund-raiser doesn’t sound like her idea of a good time – and when her sister and friends “buy” her a dinner date with sexy Parisian-trained pastry chefRyan Henderson, that sounds even worse. Ryan doesn’t have time for dating – he’s put his dreams to one side and come back to Marietta to look after his sick grandmother. 

But when he agrees to help a charity fundraiser by offering to cook a special meal to one lucky bidder, he gets more than he bargains for and discovers a woman he might just dare to let himself fall in love with. Then tragedy strikes, just when Rachel and Ryan think they might have a future, opening up old scars and pushing them apart. And if they’re to stand a chance of getting back together, then Ryan’s going to have to be seriously inventive. Can he win the love of his life with ten cakes?

  

 4 stars! 

 A few weeks ago, I started reading the Bachelor Auction series, and met Beau Bennett, who went on a date with Lily Taylor, the Auction Bidding organizer. Now, it's Chef Ryan's turn, the successful pastry chef, whose sweet confections was "almost better than sex". 

 Ryan didn't want to fall in love; he didn't believe in dating, and heck, he even didn't have time to even find the one for him. All he cared about was his grandmother Phyllis, who had stood by him eversince he was a child, eversince he lost his mom and dad in an accident. When her last relationship failed, he vowed to focus all his energy and attention to his ailing grandmother. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Rachel Cassidy was back to her hometown after an ugly divorce. People at Marietta looked down on her; they thought she would never find a man again who'd take her seriously nor love her because her attention is all on her books. Sometimes, she thought, all those hurtful rumors might just be true. Until one night, during the Bachelor Auction bidding, it was Ryan's turn at the stage and he was surprised to learn that the one who won him at the bidding actually bought him for Dr. Rachel Cassidy. If Ryan didn't like the idea of dating before the auction, things changed after he met Rachel. 

These two lonely and brokenhearted souls found each other. Then came the dates, the cakes, the flowers, the sweets, the affection, the emotions. When Grandma Phyllis's delicate condition worsened, things started to get sour between the lovers. Would there ever be a happy ending for them at all? 

 I thought I liked Beau & Lily's story in the first Bachelor Auction series. Turns out, I was wrong. I think I like Rachel & Ryan's story better, because theirs was lighter, sweet and mushy and fun. There was an instant attraction between them, but both were afraid to take the plunge, so they decided to test the waters and waddle slowly. I liked that kind of relationship, not pushing too much, not expecting too much. 

This was a quick & delicious read. I love reading books about love & food, esp cakes & chocolates because those are my weaknesses. I say, this is a perfect afternoon read! 

 Previously read/reviewed: Bound to the Bachelor (Montana Bachelor Auction Series # 2)

Cover Reveal: Anissa's Redemption

Title: Anissa's Redemption

Author: Zack Love

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance

Cover Design: Ashley Byland

Anissa Toma fled war-torn Syria after narrowly escaping the massacre of her Christian family by Islamists. Fortunate enough to rebuild her shattered life in New York City, the young refugee gained admission to an elite college, where she excelled. Her beauty, brains, and purity soon captured the interest of two powerful men: Michael, an activist working to establish Antioch, the first Mideast Christian state, and Julien, her professor and one of the city’s wealthiest bachelors.

As Anissa's saga continues, the refugee-turned-rising-star must navigate between Michael and Julien, while trying to help her surviving relatives and other vulnerable Christians in Syria. As she gets closer to both men in a complex and evolving love triangle, can she unlock Julien's traumatic childhood to open up his heart? Or will Julien find greater solace from his nightmares and other demons in the sessions with his intriguing therapist? What will Michael do for Antioch and for Anissa, and what will Julien's role be? How far will each person go to help Anissa's remaining family and other persecuted Christians at risk in Syria? Find out in this stunning sequel to "The Syrian Virgin.

Zack Love graduated from Harvard College, where he studied mostly literature, psychology, philosophy, and film. After college, he moved to New York City and took a corporate consulting job that had absolutely nothing to do with his studies. The attacks of September 11, 2001 inspired him to write a novelette titled “The Doorman” and heightened his interest in the Middle East. A decade later, that interest extended to the Syrian Civil War, which provided the backdrop for his latest work. In late 2013, Zack began releasing his unpublished works of fiction and became a full-time author. He has published comedy, psychological and philosophical fiction, and romance. Zack enjoys confining himself to one genre about as much as he likes trying to sum up his existence in one paragraph.

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