ARC Review: Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan

Tell the Wind and Fire 
by Sarah Rees Brennan
Pub. Date:  April 5, 2016
Publisher:  Clarion Books
Pages:  368
Format:  eARC / Print ARC
Source:  Publisher / NetGalley


My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

In a city divided between opulent luxury in the Light and fierce privations in the Dark, a determined young woman survives by guarding her secrets. 

Lucie Manette was born in the Dark half of the city, but careful manipulations won her a home in the Light, celebrity status, and a rich, loving boyfriend. Now she just wants to keep her head down, but her boyfriend has a dark secret of his own—one involving an apparent stranger who is destitute and despised. Lucie alone knows the young men’s deadly connection, and even as the knowledge leads her to make a grave mistake, she can trust no one with the truth.

Blood and secrets alike spill out when revolution erupts. With both halves of the city burning, and mercy nowhere to be found, can Lucie save either boy—or herself?

Tell the Wind and Fire is a condensed retelling of A Tale of Two Cities, set in a futuristic New York separated by light and dark magic. I have to confess that I have never read the original work. Although I'm not averse to reading the classics, this one wasn't required reading for me in school, and I just haven't found time to add them into my schedule when I see so many shiny new books at every turn. 

ARC Review: Flawless by Heather Graham

Flawless
by Heather Graham
Pub. Date:  March 29, 2016
Publisher:  Mira
Pages:  304
Format:  eARC
Source:  Edelweiss


My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

Everyone goes to Finnegan's… 

It's a pub in lower Manhattan, run by the Finnegan family for generations and now owned by Kieran and her three brothers. Kieran Finnegan, who still works there whenever she can, has become a criminal psychologist—a fitting reaction, perhaps, to her less-than-lawful past. 

Meanwhile, New York's Diamond District has been hit by a rash of thefts. No one's been killed—until now. FBI agent Craig Frasier is brought in to investigate; he and Kieran meet at a jewelry store in the middle of a heist. She's there to "unsteal" a flawless stone taken by her light-fingered youngest brother as an act of vengeance. He's there to stop the gang. 

But the police and FBI soon discover that there are two gangs of diamond thieves, the original and a copycat group of killers. And the second group seems to think their scheme is as flawless as the stones they steal.  

Thrown together by circumstance, drawn together by attraction, Kieran and Craig both end up working on the case. Unfortunately, there's more and more evidence that, somehow, the pub is involved. Because everyone goes to Finnegan's… 

My favorite aspect of this story was it's Irishness. Is that a thing? If not, it should be. The story involves an Irish-American family, proud of their heritage and operating a family pub in New York City, named Finnegans. Most of the characters were of Irish descent and they just had a wonderful and supportive community base that centered around the pub. The love and support between the Finnegan family was plain to see... but they had an extended family of sorts with regulars at the pub, which becomes apparent when one is injured, or put in danger, or starts being celebrated as a hero.

ARC Audiobook Review: Dragon Soul by Katie MacAlister

Dragon Soul 
by Katie MacAlister
Series: Black Dragons #3, Dragon Septs #13
Pub. Date:  March 29, 2016
Publisher:  Hachette Audio
Narrator:  Tavia Gilbert
Length:  9 hrs 12 min
Format:  Audiobook
Source:  Hachette Audio


My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

NOTHING BURNS HOTTER . . .

Sophea Long knows that escorting her octogenarian client to Europe will be an adventure. Mrs. P has a habit of stealing anything shiny, and the former "hoochikoo dancer" is a lot faster than she looks. But Sophea hadn't counted on Mrs. P leading her right into the arms of a smoldering, dark-haired stranger who kisses like a dream. If only he'd give up all this nonsense about Sophea being some kind of dragon...

THAN THE FIRE INSIDE

There's a reason Rowan Dakar is known as the Dragon Breaker. The last thing he needs is to fall for a woman who literally sets him aflame every time they kiss. After all, he has a mission-one that will finally free him of dragonkin for good. He can't afford to be distracted by the funniest, most desirable woman he's ever set eyes on. But no prophecy in the world can ever stop true love . . . 

If you follow my reviews, you know that I am just gaga for Katie MacAlister and her dragons. They are such fun reads. If you are in a serious mood or feeling extra logical, then pass these by until you are ready to have some slapstick fun.

New Releases: Eclipsed by Midnight by Kristina Canady

Title: Eclipsed by Midnight

Series: Lunar Eclipse Series Part IV

Author: Kristina F. Canady

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release Date:  March 23, 2016

Sasha…

As life continues on, some things must come to an end. That is the unspoken truth we fear to acknowledge. We’ve journeyed over the course of a moment in time together as my life has taken on new meaning. But happily ever after never did come easy. Come walk with me as the seasons change and I learn to find balance in the presence of life-altering tragedy. 

Etienne… 

Nannau, you devilish goddess in the heavens, this is really happening, isn’t it? My past fears will be made present as I am forced to face that in which I run from. Will the world stop? Will the other half of my soul break off and turn from me only to leave me dust in the wind in her wake? 

Aiden… 

I never asked for this; I never wanted this. I have my life planned out to a T. Nowhere on that map were there detours like this. My flesh is not my own. My DNA is sequenced to become something else entirely, something I fear… that I don’t understand. And at the heart of it, my once-spoken truths are proving to be lies as I meet my future head-on. 

Ethan… 

My brother may be shortsighted on this new development, but I embrace it. I feel as if my destiny is awakening. Mom didn’t do us a favor holding out on us for so long. I wish she had been honest from the beginning. Oh well, it’s time to do this now.

ARC Review: The Undoing by Shelly Laurenston

The Undoing 
by Shelly Laurenston
Series:  Call of Crows #2
Pub. Date:  March 29, 2016
Publisher:  Kensington
Pages:  400
Format:  eARC
Source:  NetGalley


My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

A risk worth taking… 

No one would ever accuse Jace Berisha of having an easy life—considering her husband…you know…killed her. But that was then! Now she fights for mighty Viking gods with the spectacular and vicious Crows.

But things are turning very bad, very quickly because a vengeful, ancient goddess has come into the world with just one thing on her mind—ending it. And the only way they can hope to stop her is if the Crows join forces with their one-time enemies, the Protectors. A Viking Clan created to do nothing but kill every Crow they see. 

Thankfully, Protector Ski Eriksen is a peace loving kind of guy. Because the woman he is desperately trying to get close to is the beautiful and not-very-chatty Jace. Battling Nordic clans? Unkillable goddesses? Jace’s mean-spirited dog? None of these things would ever get in the way of a true Viking! 

I don't want to say that this book was much better than The Unleashing, but I will say that it was much less confusing. I enjoyed both books, but I listened to The Unleashing in audio, and there were so many POVs that it was hard to tell who was who, and who was doing what. This installment had less POVs and it was much easier to figure out who was who when I was reading instead of listening. I also felt like there was a bit more world building in this story, particularly with regard to the explanation of who each clan was and how they came to be.

New Release and Guest Post: Denai Bound by Tiffany Shand

Denai Bound
by Tiffany Shand
Series:  Excalibur Investigations #2
Pub. Date:  March 26, 2016
Publisher:  Self-Pub
Pages:  339

Denai witch, Cate McCray should be enjoying married life with her new elemental husband, Jason. But their arrival in a new city soon has them stumbling headlong into a new case with dangerous connections to the very people that govern their world. Cate and Jason face opposition from those they once considered allies. Together with their team of enforcers, they must find the killer before anyone else dies. With danger from all sides and the threat of ancient, dangerous magic the team must pull together and use all their strength to find their enemy before disaster strikes.

Stackin' the Shelves #26

Hosted by Tynga's Book Reviews

Welcome back bambinas!

This is Stackin' the Shelves, the weekly feature where I showcase all the books I have accepted for review, one-clicked, won or borrowed from the library. Have you read any of these books, or do you plan to?