Bound To The Bachelor

Title: Bound to the Bachelor 

(Montana Born Bachelor Auction #1) 

Author: Sarah Mayberry 

eBook provided by Netgalley 

Published February 20th 2015 by Tule Publishing

Lily Taylor knows Beau Bennett dislikes her, but that won’t stop her from asking him to volunteer for the Bachelor Auction she’s organized to help her friend Molly provide for her tragically injured son, Josh. If Beau’s gorgeous face, piercing blue eyes and chiseled body inspires the women of Marietta to dig into their pockets for a good cause, then Lily will do whatever it takes to secure his participation. 

Beau Bennett isn’t sure how he wound up on the auction block being eyed up by hundreds of eager women, but he knows who to blame for it – Lily Taylor, the sexy, distracting, off-limits best friend of his kid sister. As far as he’s concerned, the sooner this nightmare is over, the better. The last thing either of them expects is for Lily to wind up bidding on – and winning – Beau, or that their date will lead to Beau stepping in to save Lily when her past comes back to haunt her. 

As Beau does his best to keep Lily safe, they discover that maybe they don’t dislike each other quite as much as they thought. In fact, maybe it’s just the opposite…

4 stars!

 Tis' one of the really romantic books I've read this month of Love. If I do have ten thousand grand right now, I'll bid for Beau Bennett immediately, no questions asked!

Bound to the Bachelor is the first book in the Montana Born Bachelor Auction series. Lily Taylor asked Beau Bennett, as well as other hot bachelors of Marietta, to participate in a Bachelor Auction, to raise funds for their friend, Molly and son Josh who was recently involved in a tragic accident. Long before this auction bid took place, Lily and Beau had tried really hard to get away from each other. I basically didn't really know what made Beau dislike Lily so much; is it just because she's got the notorious reputation of being a stripper/exotic lap dancer once? I say, he was quite judgmental if that was his reason for avoiding her. But as the story progressed, we learned the real reason why Beau couldn't trust his heart to be near her.

 On the other hand, Lily's past found its way to come back and haunt her, ultimately putting her life in danger. An inheritance of some sort, amounting to ten thousand dollars, shook up Lily's nerves, and brought about the memories of her past. To get away from it all, she decided to use the money to bid on Beau Bennett. And their lives took a spin from thereon.

 I like happy endings, I crave for it every now and then. The author knew how to make readers swoon for the guy and cry with the girl. This book melts my heart, Lily & Beau have the perfect chemistry. Although their instant love connection and profession of love at the end of the book was too soon, I still liked that "having butterflies in my stomach" feeling after reading their book. It's my first Sarah Mayberry book and hopefully, not the last.

Book Review: Lament

Title: Lament (The Faerie Queen's Deception)

Book 1 of 3 in Books of Faerie

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Paperback, 325 pages

Published October 1st 2008

Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand -- one who can see faeries.Unexpectedly, Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy named Luke who enters her ordinary life, seemingly out of thin air. But his interest in her might be something darker than summer romance. When a sinister faerie named Aodhan shows up with deadly orders from the Faerie Queen, it forces Dee right into the midst of Faerie.  Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her summer weren't so dull, but taking on a centuries-old Faerie Queen isn't exactly what she had in mind.

Deirdre is a brilliant harpist. She has gigs and competitions almost everyday. The only problem is: she hates being in front of people. Aside from that, she throws up before her performances. On the day of a particularly important competition, she has just fled to a bathroom and is starting to throw up when someone holds her hair back and tells her its almost over. 


The strange boy who helped her is Luke; who is actually a guy from her dreams - literally she dreamed of him the night before. As things progress we learn Dee has more power and strength inside than she ever expected and that Luke has some dark secrets. This is only part of the problem for Dee is being hunted for her powers that rival the Faerie Queen's, and the Hunters want to torment and play games with her. 


The only thing that has a chance of stopping the Faerie Hunters is Iron and a strange substance her grandmother made. What happens when Luke tells her he loves her and the same day she gets a text saying that James loves her? Who will she choose? Is Dee strong enough to take on the Faerie Queen and her minions and rule the Faerie world?

Truth is, I kinda liked the story. It's something new compared to those other fairy-infested myths I've read. I had fun with the characters, especially James.  I really liked that about this book it had a great message and that is about the difficult choices one has to go through in life and how those choices make up the person you become.


Looking forward to reading the 2nd book - Ballad; which is about James this time. 

--------------------------------------------------------

About this author :

Maggie Stiefvater

New York Times bestselling author of The Shiver Trilogy, The Raven Cycle, and The Scorpio Races. Artist. Driver of things with wheels. Avid reader.


All of Maggie Stiefvater's life decisions have been based around her inability to be gainfully employed. Talking to yourself, staring into space, and coming to work in your pajamas are frowned upon when you're a waitress, calligraphy instructor, or technical editor (all of which she's tried), but are highly prized traits in novelists and artists. She's made her living as one or the other since she was 22. She now lives an eccentric life in the middle of nowhere, Virginia with her charmingly straight-laced husband, two kids, two neurotic dogs, and a 1973 Camaro named Loki.

Dragonslayer Vol 7-8

Forever Together (Volume 7 of 8 Dilemmas of a Dragonslayer Series )
by Ruth Ford Elward
***** Ruth Elward effortlessly and vividly brought the magical realm into life!*****

Love indeed is a many splendored thing. What such power love can possess! In Forever Together (7th volume from the Dilemma of Dragonslayer series) the sorceress Raven finally returned as a changed woman, however, she was stripped of her powers. But her love for Carison paved the way to get her magics back and more. She discovered she could transport across time and space, but when she volunteered to help bring back the Guardsmen to assist Carison's army, she made a detrimental mistake of landing in a place infested by dragons, where escape is moot.

Forever Together successfully blended romance with action and adventure. I enjoyed the world and characters in this book. I couldn't help but get carried away with Raven and Carison's relationship. Theirs is a love story that transcends through time and space. Ruth Elward effectively got my attention with her simple sentences, imaginative world and unique plot. Her writing kept the story moving at a fast pace, the tone never wavered and the action never stopped. She effortlessly and vividly brought the magical realm into life.

Bittersweet Ending (Volume 8 of 8 Dilemmas of a Dragonslayer Series)
by Ruth Ford Elward
***** I didn't want to part with the characters in the end *****

Just finished the last book of the Dilemmas of a Dragonslayer series and I literally held my breath while I read this last volume. In Bittersweet Ending, Raven needed help but Carison was stuck in another place where there was no way out, no way to get to her. Lemore became more powerful than ever, after inhabiting a dragon's body. A lot of lives were lost, a lot of people were fooled by the Diamondscale's appearance and a lot of problems were still not solved. Will there ever be an end to Carison & Raven's dilemma?

Indeed it had been a tumultuous journey to a bittersweet ending. I love this last book from the series because it got all the ingredients i was looking for in a fantasy genre - drama, action, adventure, and romance. I didn't want to part with Carison and Raven, and I didn't stop my tears when some of the characters died. Big thanks and a chunkful of praises for Miss Elward for a superb end to a series.  I think I will never look at a dragon the same way ever again. This book deserved my 5 stars rating!

Dragonslayer Vol 4-5

The Aftermath (Volume 4 of Dilemmas of a Dragonslayer series)
by Ruth Ford Elward

***** the characters have captivated me! *****

I've read a lot of books where dragons reign supreme and soar above the heavens with their majestic wings. Ruth Elward, however, changed my perspective about them. Her book, The Aftermath is a well-crafted and beautifully written tale that kept me awake and made me want to keep reading for more.

The Aftermath happened to be the 4th installment from the Dilemmas of a Dragonslayer series, I met the hero, Paladin Carison Destine who barely escaped the tongues of death when Lemore's plans to bond with the Diamondscale went awry. Nevertheless, the Paladin was still intent on killing the Butcher. His betrothed, Raven, was able to finally cure herself through the help of an unlikely ally.  Soon Diamondscale was born and became a true monster, made possible by Lemore, and was caught in a battle between dragons and humans.

Things have gotten really interesting for the dragon slayer and the butcher. Lemor is the epitome of a villain gone wild. Carisone on the other hand, played a pivotal heroic role. These characters captivated me, and I can safely say that they would be forever be imprinted in my mind.



All in Good Time (Volume 5 of Dilemmas of a Dragonslayer Series )

By Ruth Ford Elward

*****I can no longer wait to read the next book in the series*****

Allow me to say this, I have just had the pleasure of meeting the most ardent characters in a mystical world.

Carisone and Raven. Two formidable forces.  King Lemore considered them the bane of his existence, the thorns in his rise to power, the hurdles that prevent him from  reigning over the old Fourth Kingdom. He would do everything and would use Diamondscale to accomplish his goal. Of course, not everyone agreed to do his bidding. That is why he wanted nothing else but to see Carison & Raven dead. All in good time.

Author Elward has created a different world of dragons that I have never read in any other books. She has a very creative mind and a talent in persuading you to continue reading her stories. She really knows how to make a reader crave for more. The fifth volume from the Dragonslayer series is action-packed and nerve-wracking. I felt what the other characters felt. I saw what lies ahead and I anticipated every step they take. I thought I knew it all, but then in the end, I was lost in my own thoughts and was shocked by the turn of event. I can no longer wait to read the next book in the series.

WoW: Afterlife

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I'm fairly new with this meme so help me out, friends.

I've decided to join this meme because I just want to share my anticipation for the Evernight series' final book - Afterlife - the story of Bianca and Lucas.

Title: AFTERLIFE
Author: Claudia Gray
Hardcover, 368 pages

Expected publication: March 8th 2011
Characters: Bianca Oliver, Lucas Ross, Bathazar More
 
This is what Goodreads have to say.

The fourth book in this electrifying vampire series has all the romance, suspense, and page-turning drama that have made Claudia Gray’s Evernight books runaway successes.

Having become what they feared most, Bianca and Lucas face a terrifying new reality. They must return to Evernight Academy, Lucas as a vampire and Bianca as a wraith. But Lucas is haunted by demons, both personal and supernatural. Bianca must help him fight the evil inside him, combat the forces determined to drive them apart—and find the power to claim her destiny at last.

Readers have fallen in love with Bianca and Lucas, and they will be thrilled to read this exciting conclusion to their romantic adventure

Evernight - Claudia Gray

After the pandemonium that Twilight saga had caused a couple of years ago, I thought there was no other vampire story that would catch my attention. I know I was kind of biased, thinking Edward was the best looking vampire I met, but I realized, I didn't give myself a chance to broaden my horizon.

Then one day, I chanced upon Evernight by Claudia Gray. I didn't have any idea what this book was all about; I didn't even accessed Google nor Wikipedia for a glimpse. I was so intrigued about this boarding school that made Bianca ran away on her first day. And then she met Lucas and fell in love..

Bianca Olivier is a new student to Evernight Academy, a Gothic boarding school with "perfect" but predatory students. Ahe knows she doesn't belong but she can't escape because her parents are now teachers at the school. Bianca believes the best of her parents and trusts them about everything even when her brain tells her not to.

As school progresses, Bianca befriends Lucas, Raquel, a loner like her, and Vic, Lucas' roommate. She develops enemies, like Courtney and Erich, who are what Bianca calls "The Evernight Type". At a party, she befriends a handsome, popular, but friendly guy, Balthazar More.

Balthazar asks her to the Autumn Ball. There, she, Lucas and Balthazar get into an argument, and Balthazar leaves them alone. Outside, under the gazebo, she and Lucas kiss for the first time. Bianca gives in to temptation, bites Lucas and drinks his blood. After she realizes what she did, she screams for help. Upon hearing, Courtney comes out and says "Well, it's about time you grew up and became a vampire like the rest of us.".

At first, the story was a little dragging, that it took me about 7 chapters before I learned about Bianca's true identity. I got excited from there on. The end of the story was left hanging which is good because it allowed me to come up with my own theories about the Vampire academy.

So far, I enjoyed the first book, and I can't wait to finish the second one. Kudos to Claudia Gray :) I think I like her story more than Stephenie Myers'. With that, I give Evernight a 4-bookmark rating :)

the Stanislaskis..

Meet the Stanislaskis.. the second family i met from Nora Robert's powerful mind. (the first were the Concannon sisters from the Irish Born series)..
Yuri and Nadia Stanislaski fled across the boarders through a mountain range in a wagon to escape the Ukraine with their 3 oldest children, Natasha, Mikhail, and Alex. They soon settled in Brooklyn, New York where Yuri found work as a carpenter and had another child, Rachel.

The first 4 books of this 6 book series tells the story of one of Yuri and Nadia’s children. The last two books tell the story of two of their grandchildren. In order, here are the books:

Title: Taming Natasha
# pages: 223

Taming Natasha is the story of Natasha Stanislaski a former ballerina and toy store owner. She meets widower Spencer Kimball, a composer and music professor at the local college, when he comes into her store searching for a toy for his five-year-old daughter, Freddie.

Title: Luring a Lady
# pages: 221

It’s Mikhail Stanislaski’s turn in Luring a Lady. As the oldest Stanislaski child, Mikhail remembers his family’s escape from the Ukraine the best. He is now an artist and a carpenter in Manhattan. There he meets Sydney Hayward, the woman who owns the building he lives in. After convincing Sydney to visit the building her company has neglected, Sydney finds the loving, close-knit family she’s looking for.

Title: Falling for Rachel
# pages: 209

Tough, no-nonsense public defender Rachel Stanislaski meets Zack Muldoon when she’s assigned to his step-brother’s burglary case. The court demands that the lawyer and the bar owner work together to keep the 19-year-old Nick out of trouble.

Title: Convincing Alex
# pages: 210

Detective Alexi Stanislaski arrests Bess McNee for soliciting only to find out that she is actually the writer for a popular soap-opera. She asks him to help her with her research. How can he say no when he is already slowly falling for her?


Title: Waiting for Nick
# pages: 244

This is the story of grown-up little girl, Freddie Kimball, from Taming Natasha and Nick Muldoon, the punk step-brother, from Falling for Rachel. Freddie fell in love with Nick the first time she saw him in her grandparent’s house. At the time, her aunt Rachel was Nick’s attorney and Freddie was only 13-years-old. Now 24, Freddie decides to finally go after her man.

Title: Considering Kate
# pages: 242

Considering Kate is the last of the Stanislaski family books. Kate is Spencer Kimball and Natasha Stanislaski Kimball’s (of Taming Natasha) youngest daughter. A prima ballerina, Kate decides to open her own ballet school in her small hometown in West Virginia. She hires Brody O’Connell to renovate the building and falls in love with him and his 6-year-old son, Jack.

Rating: The whole series from book 1 to book 6 was very good.

so i'm giving the saga 5 bookmarks!!