New Releases ~ week of 02/27/2017

A Ghostly Mortality by Tonya Kappes (#6 Ghostly Southern Mystery)

Ally's Mad Mystery by Jessica Brody (#3 Disney Descendants: School of Secrets)
April Fools' Fiasco by Ron Roy (#9 A to Z Mysteries Super Edition)
Avenged by Lynn Carthage (#3 Arnaud Legacy)
Banana Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke (#21 Hannah Swensen Mysteries)
Bane and Shadow by Jon Skovron (#2 Empire of Storms Trilogy)
Besieged by A. J. Tata (#3 Chayton Mahegan)
Bone Box by Faye Kellerman (#24 Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus)
Broken Glass by V. C. Andrews (#2 Mirrored Sisters)
Call Back by Denise Grover Swank (#3 Magnolia Steele Mystery)
Catch and Release by Laura Drewry (#3 Fishing for Trouble)

Dead in the Water by Annelise Ryan (#8 Mattie Winston)
Death by Chocolate Lab by Bethany Blake (#1 Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery)
Expecting to Die by Lisa Jackson (#7 Montana "To Die")
Fatality by Firelight by Lynn Cahoon (#2 Cat Latimer Mystery)
Fields of Fire by Marko Kloos (#5 Frontlines)
For His Eyes Only by Lexi Blake (#13 Masters and Mercenaries)
Freedom Lost by Arthur T. Bradley (#9 The Survivalist)
Game Changer by Jami Davenport (#7 Seattle Sockeyes)
Good Girls Don't Kiss and Tell by Codi Gary (#7 Rock Canyon Romance)
Into The Fire by Jeaniene Frost (#4 Night Prince)
Jordan Reclaimed by Scarlett Cole (#1 Preload)

Kneaded to Death by Winnie Archer (#1 Bread Shop Mystery)
Lifeblood by Gena Showalter (#2 Everlife)
Long Time Gone by Mary Connealy (#3 The Cimarron Legacy)
Love Taker by Erin McCarthy (#3 Nashville Nights)
Lyrinian Blade by K. N. Lee (#3 The Chronicles of Koa)
Monahan's Massacre by William W Johnstone, J A Johnstone (#1 Trail West)
More Than a Marriage by Amy Lillard (#3 Quilting Circle)
Murder at an Irish Wedding by Carlene O'Connor (#2 Irish Village Mystery)
No Darker Place by Debra Webb (#1 Shades of Death)
Off the Ice by Julie Cross (#1 Juniper Falls)
One Blood Ruby by Melissa Marr (#2 Seven Black Diamonds)
Passion Favors The Bold by Theresa Romain (#2 Royal Reward Duo)
Passion Restored by Carrie Ann Ryan (#2 Gallagher Brothers)

Purrable Lion by Marissa Dobson (#5 Crimson Hollow)
Rebel Flight by Mindy Klasky (#1 Darkbeast Chronicles)
Reign of Error by Christy Barritt (#2 Worst Detective Ever)
Renegade's Pride by B J Daniels (#1 Cahill Ranch)
Shadow's Seduction by Kresley Cole (#17 The Immortals After Dark #2 The Dacians)
Sinful Scottish Laird by Julia London (#2 Highland Grooms)
Starlight Bridge by Debbie Mason (#2 Harmony Harbor)
Starting Over on Blackberry Lane by Sheila Roberts (#10 Life in Icicle Falls)
Take Me Back by Rosalind James (#4 Paradise, Idaho)
The Art of Vanishing by Cynthia Kuhn (#2 Lila Maclean Mystery)
The Fifth Element by Jørgen Brekke (#3 Odd Singsaker)
The Game Begins by Victoria Danann (#1 R. Caine High School)
The Lioness Is the Hunter by Loren D Estleman (#26 Amos Walker)
The Width of the World by David Baldacci (#3 Vega Jane)
The Wrong Dead Guy by Richard Kadrey (#2 Another Coop Heist)
Thunderbird by Chuck Wendig (#4 Miriam Black)
Wait for It by M. O'Keefe (#4 Everything I Left Unsaid)
When the Grits Hit the Fan by Maddie Day (#3 Country Store Mystery)
Wilde Thing by Jannine Gallant (#3 Born to Be Wilde)

This Week's Reads

Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione
Lords of Deliverance #1 (Goodreads)
**This is a continuation of the authors Demonica series but featuring the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. can I just say that I hate these type of covers. There's something boring about them,especially when there's not much happening in the background. Oh Well, love the author and books so looking forward to trying this part of the series.

Harvest Hunting by Yasmine Galenorn
Otherworld/Sisters of the Moon #8 (Goodreads)
**I past this point in the series but somehow missed this book so going back to fill in some blanks.

New Releases ~ week of 02/20/2017

A Cast of Vultures by Judith Flanders (#3 Sam Clair Novels)

A Conjuring of Light by V E Schwab (#3 Darker Shade of Magic)
Abduction by Cynthia Eden (#2 Killer Instinct)
Aftermath: Empire's End by Chuck Wendig (#13 Star Wars: Disney Canon)
Against All Silence by E.C. Myers (#2 SOS)
An Unseen Attraction by KJ Charles (#1 Sins of the Cities)
Damage Control by Lisa Renee Jones (#2 Dirty Money)
Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas (#3 The Ravenels)
Driving Rain by Sierra Dean (#2 Rain Chaser)
Fugitive Bride by Paula Graves (#3 Campbell Cove Academy)
Going Down Hard by Carly Phillips (#3 Billionaire Bad Boys)
His Cowboy Heart by Jennifer Ryan (#6 Montana Men)
Home to Paradise by Barbara Cameron (#3 Coming Home)
Hot Target by Elle James (#2 Ballistic Cowboys)
Midtown Masters by Cara McKenna (#3 Sins in the City)
Montana Ranger by Elle James (#5 Brotherhood Protectors)
Most Dangerous Place by James Grippando (#13 Jack Swyteck)
Old Bones by Trudy Nan Boyce (#2 Sara Alt)
Playing With Desire by Reese Ryan (#1 Pleasure Cove)
Pucked Off by Helena Hunting (#5 The Pucked Series)
Saturdays at Sea by Jessica Day George (Castle Glower #5)
Saved by Darkness by Katie Reus (#6 Darkness)
Seduced by the Bachelor by Pamela Yaye (#7 Morretti Millionaires)
Seven Surrenders by Ada Palmer (#2 Terra Ignota)
Spook Street by Mick Herron (#4 Slough House)
Surrender To The Marquess by Louise Allen (#1 Herriard Family)
The Book of Etta by Meg Elison (#2 The Road to Nowhere)
The Dragon's Price by Bethany Wiggins (#1 Transference)
The English Agent by Phillip DePoy (#2 Christopher Marlowe)
The Ghosts at the Movie Theater by Dori Hillestad Butler (#9 The Haunted Library)
The Killing Bay by Chris Ould (#2 Foroyars)
The Last Sin by K L Murphy (#3 Detective Cancini Mystery)
The Marine Makes His Match by Victoria Pade (#1 Camden Family Secrets)
The Sixth Window by Rachel Abbott (#7 DI Tom Douglas)
Twelve Angry Librarians by Miranda James (#8 Cat in the Stacks Mystery)
Wild Card by Susan Hayes (#3 The Drift)
Worldshaker by J F Lewis (#3 The Grudgebearer Trilogy)

Arc Review ~ Gilded Cage

Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts #1)

by Vic James
published by Del Ray Books
release date: February 14, 2017
genre: YA, Fantasy, Dystopia

**e-galley received from netGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (Goodreads): Not all are free. Not all are equal. Not all will be saved.
Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England's grandest estate lies a power that could break the world.
A girl thirsts for love and knowledge.
Abi is a servant to England's most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family's secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price?
A boy dreams of revolution.
Abi's brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution.
And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.
He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?

My Thoughts: I didn't think I would like this book after the first few chapters due to all the different POVs. Ended up really enjoying the world the author created along and their stories. Unfortunately, the happy feelings and looking forward to book 2 ended with the last two pages. I'll start with the things I did like.
Luke, he started as a typical teenage boy doing typical teenage boy things. This ended quickly when he is separated from his family and sent to a factory slave town. Luke had the most evolution as a character and you could really believe he had become the person he was at the end of the book. All the decisions he made fit into his character, even when the outcome was not what he expected.
The Jardine brothers. Even as evil as they can seem, well at least one seems evil, one crazy, and one not like the others, I still liked them. I wanted to know more, especially about Silyen, crazy and powerful, definitely an interesting combination. Gavar seems to be more than what you see on the surface. His care for his child and even for Daisy in his own way. Granted it's only because she takes care of the baby but still it shows there is more there.
Bouda, she's another that I should hate (and mostly do) but I want to see what she does going forward. She clearly is willing to do anything that gives her more power including marrying Gavar and possibly being in league with his dad. I'm most interested in her mystery contact that seems to have info that is counter to everything that we learn in this book.
Abi, the character that ruined the whole book for me. It's necessarily her but where the author took her in the last two pages. Throughout the whole book Abi is kinda forgettable even as a main character. She's smart, book smart but too much of a fairytale daydreamer. She would think about the fact that she needed to find a way to get Luke out of the slave town and then 2 seconds later she would be dreaming about Jenner and how great it would be if they could only be together. This is pretty much how all her chapters go with some variation here or there but she never actually does anything. Then all of the sudden the story is over, the servant and master are in love and sharing a kiss, then Abi does something that is so far out of character that it made no sense to me. It literally ruined everything for me, I was so looking forward to reading book two and finding out what happens next. But if these last pages are an indication of where the author is going then I don't know if I'll be reading. Continuation is a big part of any series and it fell apart for this character in one book. With Luke it was easy to believe that he became the man he was at the end because of what happened to him throughout the book both in the slave town and when he ended up at the Jardine's. Abi on the other hand had no growth but suddenly we are supposed to believe she went from a smart daydreamer to a UF kick-ass heroine. It just doesn't fit. Most won't have a problem with this but for me it just didn't make sense.
I don't usually read preview chapters but if there are any released for book two (Tarnished City) I may give them a try to see where the author goes with the book and Abi's character. Something will have to happen to Abi and her sudden plans to make me want to read the whole book.

Rating: 4 based on the book as a whole and not the part that bothered me at the end.

This Week's Reads

The Turn by Kim Harrison
The Hollows #0.1 (Goodreads)
**Even with the death of one of my favorite characters ever, this is still one of my favorite series.

SkinWalker by Faith Hunter
Jane Yellowrock #1 (Goodreads)
**I've been on a UF and vampire kick as of late. Saw something from this author recently and decided to give it a try.

New Releases ~ week of 02/13/2017

A Dangerous Seduction by Jillian Eaton (#1 Bow Street Brides)

A Winter's Tail by Kathi Daley (#11 Whales and Tails Mystery)
Among the Ruins by Ausma Zehanat Khan (#3 Rachel Getty and Esa Khattak)
An Impossible War by Andy Remic (#4 Song for No Man's Land)
Can't Stop Fate by Debra Kayn (#4 Ronacks Motorcycle Club)
Dare You by Jennifer Brown (#2 Nikki Kill)
Daughter of Dragons by Jack Campbell (#1 Legacy of Dragons)
Destin's Hold by S E Smith (#5 Alliance)
Dirty Love by Ainsley Booth (#3 Forbidden Bodyguards)
Every Little Thing by Marie Force (#1 Butler, Vermont)
Found by S. A. Bodeen (#4 Shipwreck Island)

Four-Leaf Clover by Amanda M. Lee (#12 Wicked Witches of the Midwest)
Gilded Cage by Vic James (#1 Dark Gifts Trilogy)
Guarding Mr. Fine by HelenKay Dimon (#3 Tough Love)
Hers to Command by Cynthia Sax (#8 Cyborg Sizzle)
Last Day on Mars by Kevin Emerson (#1 Chronicle of the Dark Star)
Miranda and Caliban by Jacqueline Carey
Ones and Zeroes by Dan Wells (#2 Mirador)
Playing The Game by Lisa B Kamps (#1 York Bombers)
Racing the Devil by Charles Todd (#19 Ian Rutledge)
Rebel by Eve Langlais (#3 Space Gypsy Chronicles)
Revenge of the Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen (#2 Evil Librarian)
Riveted by Jay Crownover (#4 Saints of Denver)
Scoundrel's Honor by Christi Caldwell (#2 Sinful Brides)

Stolen by Carey Baldwin (#4 Cassidy & Spenser)
The Basketball Blowout by David A Kelly (#4 MVP)
The Bootlegger's Goddaughter by Melodie Campbell (#5 Gina Gallo Mystery)
The Dragonlings’ Very Special Valentine by S E Smith (#9.6 Dragon Lords of Valdier)
The Girl He Wants by Kristi Rose (#3 No Strings Attached)
The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro (#2 Charlotte Holmes)
The Scoundrel's Pleasure by Jane Bonander (#2 MacNeil Legacy)
The Star in the Meadow by Carla Kelly (#4 Spanish Brand)
The Wish Granter by C J Redwine (#2 Ravenspire)
Tinderbox by Rachel Grant (#1 Flashpoint)

Tower of the Gods by D.K. Holmberg (#3 The Lost Prophecy)
Unrest by Wendy Higgins (#2 Unknown)
Until Sydney by Marissa Dobson (#1 Tanner Cycles)
Wildfire by Anne Stuart (#3 Fire)
Winter of the Gods by Jordanna Max Brodsky (#2 Olympus Bound)

This Week's Reads

Once Upon A Kiss: 17 Romantic Faerie Tales
Anthology; Various Authors (Goodreads)
**I'm not usually a seasonal reader but I love anthologies and this seemed a good fit for Valentine's Day. Another plus is it includes a few of my favorite authors and others I've been wanting to try out.

The Murderer's Ape by Jakob Wegelius
(Goodreads)
**I was in the mood for mysteries and the cover and title intrigued me. Overall ratings seem to be positive so I'm looking forward to trying it.

Exile For Dreamers by Kathleen Baldwin
Stranje House #2 (Goodreads)
**On my neverending quest to catch up/finish series that are on my tbr.

New Releases ~ week of 02/06/2017

A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong (#2 Casey Duncan)

An Uncommon Protector by Shelley Shepard Gray (#2 Lone Star Hero's)
Beauty and the Wiener by Casey Griffin (#2 Rescue Dog Romance)
Bookman Dead Style by Paige Shelton (#2 Dangerous Type Mystery)
Born of Vengeance by Sherrilyn Kenyon (#11 The League)
Buttons and Hate by Penelope Sky (#2 Buttons)
Crossing Hearts by Kimberly Kincaid (#1 Cross Creek)
Death in Advertising by Laura Bradford (#1 Tobi Tobias Mystery)
Death, Taxes, and Sweet Potato Fries by Diane Kelly (#13 Tara Holloway)
Denton Little's Still Not Dead by Lance Rubin (#2 Deathdate series)

Disruptor by Arwen Elys Dayton (#3 Seeker)
Dragon Captives by Lisa McMann (#1 Unwanteds Quests)
Echoes in Death by J. D. Robb (#44 In Death)
Every Dark Corner by Karen Rose (#3 Cincinnati)
Exposed by Rhonda Pollero (#1 Justice)
First Comes Desire by Tina Donahue (#1 Pirates Prize)
From London With Love by Diana Quincy (#3 Regency Spymasters)
Gold Rush Bride by Shirley Kennedy (#3 Women of the West)
Grave by Michelle Sagara (#3 The Queen of the Dead)
Grave Holiday by Lily Harper Hart (#9 Maddie Graves Mystery)
Guardian of Secrets by Brenda Drake (#2 Library Jumpers)
Hades by Mark Z. Danielewski (#4 Familiar)
Hard to Handle by Christine Warren (#5 Gargoyles)
Healing A Heart by Amy Lillard (#2 Cattle Creek)
Heart of the Storm by Michael Buckley (#3 Undertow)
Her Cowboy Lawman by Pamela Britton (#4 Cowboys in Uniform)
Holding on Tighter by Shayla Black (#12 Wicked Lovers)
Hungry Ghosts by Stephen Blackmoore (#3 Eric Carter)
King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard (#3 Red Queen Trilogy)
Marrying Emily by Susan Stoker (#4 Delta Force Heroes)
Midnight Curse by Melissa F Olson (#1 Disrupted Magic)
Mission Impawsible by Krista Davis (#4 Paws and Claws Mysteries)
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
Reckless Hearts by Heather Van Fleet (#1 Reckless Hearts)
Returned by Kimberley Griffiths Little (#3 Forbidden)
Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner (#7 Quincy / Rainie)
Rise of Fire by Sophie Jordan (#2 Reign of Shadows)
Robert B. Parker's Revelation by Robert Knott (#9 Virgil Cole & Everett Hitch Westerns)
Shelter from the Storm by Sheila Connolly (#5 County Cork Mysteries)
Simon Thorn and the Viper's Pit by Aimee Carter  (Simon Thorn #2)
Snowed In with Murder by Auralee Wallace (#4 Otter Lake Mystery)
Somebody Like You by Donna Alward (#1 Darling, VT)
Swiss Vendetta by Tracee de Hahn (#1 Agnes Luthi Mystery)
Take Me Harder by Jackie Ashenden (#3 Texas Bounty)
Tangled in Texas by Kari Lynn Dell (#2 Texas Rodeo)
The Turn by Kim Harrison (#14 Rachel Morgan / The Hollows)
The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer (#1 Black Wolves of Boston)
The Burning World by Isaac Marion (#3 Warm Bodies)
The Duke by Kerrigan Byrne (#4 To Tempt a Highlander)
The Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie (#17 Duncan Kincaid / Gemma James)
The Lost Woman by Sara Blaedel (#7 Louise Rick and Camilla Lind)
The Only Witness by Laura Scott (#2 Callahan Confidential)
The Prince's Rogue by Elise Kova (#2 Golden Guard Trilogy)
The Proud Sinner by Priscilla Royal (#13 Medieval Mystery)
The Texas Valentine Twins by Cathy Gillen Thacker (#3 Texas Legacies: The Lockharts)
Traveler by L.E. DeLano (#1 Traveler)
War and Peach by Susan Furlong (#3 Georgia Peach Mysteries)
What You Break by Reed Farrel Coleman (#2 Gus Murphy)
Winterlong by Mason Cross (#3 Carter Blake)
With Blood Upon the Sand by Bradley P Beaulieu (#2 Song of the Shattered Sands)

This Week's Reads

**I've been all over the place with my reading so far this year. Been sticking with fantasy genres and subgenres and this week is more of the same.

Bound by Night by Larissa Ione
The Moonbound Clan Vampires #1 (Goodreads)
**I've been wanting to read this series and haven't read vampire books in awhile.

City of Light by Keri Arthur
Outcast #1 (Goodreads)
**I love Keri Arthur. Another I've been wanting to start. Sounds like it's UF that's more on the gritty side which is what I enjoy reading most from this genre.