Book Review

Enchanted No More (Mystic Circle #1) 
By Robin D. Owens
Published by Harlequin
egalley received by netGalley

Summary (from netGalley): “I’ll do the mission,” Jenni told Tage. “you win.”

As one of the last surviving Mistweavers, half-blood Jenni knows what it’s like to be caught between two worlds: the faery and the human. But the time has come to choose. The Lightfolk require her unique talent for balancing the elements to fend off a dangerous enemy—and rescue her missing brother.

Only for Rothly will Jenni deal with those who destroyed her life. Only for him will she agree to work with her ex-lover, Tage, and revisit the darkest corners of her soul. For a reckoning is at hand, and she alone has the power to hold back the forces of dark....

Dislikes: This book really needed a prologue. I spent the first half of the book thinking this was a second in a series and actually had to check at one point and make sure it wasn't. The story of what happened to Jenni's family at a ceremony/mission fifteen years previously was dragged out and repetitive throughout the book when it could have been taken care of in a few pages at the beginning. With so much time spent on the family tragedy and the bitterness/guilt that Jenni feels it really drags down the rest of the book. I also did not like Aric, Jenni's love interest. He seemed very condescending and talked down or at Jenni through a lot of the book. There are points in the books where this is mentioned but nothing is ever done about it. This made Jenni professing her love for him, when in the previous paragraph she was saying she still didn't trust him, very unbelievable.


Likes: I actually really liked the world that the author built as well as the concept behind the book. Jenni is the only person left in the magical community that can balance a place with all four elements. The parts of the book that focused on this were interesting and well done. I also loved the background characters and they made this story for me. The brownies, dryads, and even the Royal Eight were more engaging than the main characters.


Overall: I really wanted to love this book. The concept behind it and the world that was built was well done, but the romance and guilt/ bitterness really hurt the book. Parts felt like a really long couch session that I was not interested in. 


Rating: 3 only for the world and background characters. There is a second book coming with a character that is not from this book but the same community that Jenni lives in. 

Book Review

Magic to the Bone (Allie Beckstrom #1)
By Devon Monk
Published by: Roc


Summary: (from Goodreads) Using magic means it uses you back, and every spell exacts a price from its user. But some people get out of it by Offloading the cost of magic onto an innocent. Then it’s Allison Beckstrom’s job to identify the spell-caster. Allie would rather live a hand-to-mouth existence than accept the family fortune—and the strings that come with it. But when she finds a boy dying from a magical Offload that has her father’s signature all over it, Allie is thrown back into his world of black magic. And the forces she calls on in her quest for the truth will make her capable of things that some will do anything to control.


Dislikes: This book started really slow for me and I had a hard time getting into it. I can't really pinpoint what I didn't like it just seemed like a slow read. By about the halfway point it seemed to pick up and I read right through to the end. 


Likes: I loved the world that the author built for this series. Very different from any of the other books I have read involving magic.  I really liked the characters as well. Both Allie and Nola (even though she is not in it much) were very strong characters and you could relate to them well.  I also enjoyed Zayvion and cannot wait to find out more about him.


Overall: I really enjoyed the second half of this book and cannot wait to read the next in the series.  I liked how Monk resolved the main focus (problems) by the end of the book without leaving you hanging, but still managed to leave enough for you to want to continue with the series.


Rating: 3.5

In My Mailbox (2)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by the Kristi over at The Story Siren. The idea of In My Mailbox is to bring books to the attention of our blog readers and to encourage interaction with other blogs.. The idea of In My Mailbox is to bring books to the attention of our blog readers and to encourage interaction with other blogs.

This was another big library week, could have gotten several more but ran out of room in my bag and still had to get books for my son.

Library: dawnbreaker By Jocelynn Drake
Ecstasy Unveiled By Larissa Ione
Inside Out By Maria V Snyder
the short second life of bree tanner By Stephanie Meyer
Clockwork Angel By Cassandra Clare
Killer Instinct By Zoe Sharp
Mistwood By Leah Cypess
Toads and Diamonds By Heather Tomlinson (had not heard of this one but loved the cover)
Nightshade By Andrea Cremer

Also for Review from netGalley:
My Soul to Steal By Rachel Vincent
Stone Kissed By Keri Stephens

That's all for this week, so what did you get?

Follow Friday and Blog Hop

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee. No question this week.



The Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This meme is hosted by Crazy for books

This weeks question: What is your favorite Book Cover?

I don't know if I have a favorite. Ones that I like right now are the Iron Fey series By Julie Kagawa. Really anything with color since there seems to be so many that are white, gray, and black of late.

Happy Friday and leave a comment letting me know you stopped by.

Happy Thanksgiving

I just wanted to take a second and wish everyone celebrating a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!