Review- Know Thy Enemy by Douglas Misquita

Know Thy Enemy on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

An artifact from the Baghdad National Museum could justify the coalition invasion of Iraq. But the artifact is among items looted from the Museum just before the invasion.
CIA Analyst, Emma Burrows enlists the help of Captain William Bradford and a small Joint Task Force 2 team to retrieve the artifact.
Unknown to them, a mercenary unit led by Luc Fortesque is also after the stolen artifacts intending to sell them on the black market.

Know Thy Enemy is an action-short that introduces two key characters from the full length thriller novel, The Apocalypse Trigger.

Know Thy Enemy is available FREE from here.

Know Thy Enemy is also available for Kindle and Kindle apps at the lowest price possible.

Release date: October 15th 2014

Published by: Self-published

Page numbers: 40

REVIEW: 

Not a bad read at all, but not very good either. Know Thy Enemy is a prelude to author Douglas Misquita's The Apocalypse Trigger. I am not a fan of thriller novels, but I really don't mind giving all genres a try. I have read Douglas Misquita's Haunted, and that was a thriller/ mystery that I genuinely found interesting and well written. As for Know Thy Enemy, well, I didn't like it very much and I cringe to say this, but honesty is the policy, so here we go. 

The sole reason I picked up Know Thy Enemy is because it is barely 40 pages long. So I thought, why not? It took me less than an hour to finish off this quick read which introduces you to the characters in The Apocalypse Trigger. Well, firstly, save for maybe one or two names, I don't remember all the characters, and I didn't even understand the story. It could be my fault, it could be the book's fault. I don't know. But like I have been saying, I am not the biggest fan of Know Thy Enemy. 

Fans of thriller will devour this story as even I can say without doubt that it is action-packed. There is lots happening and the story moves from here to there like rapid fire, which is good. I always feel that short stories work only when they're done well. Unfortunately- and I hate to say this because I genuinely support Douglas Misquita- this was not for me. I will still for sure give The Apocalypse Trigger a try some time. 

Buy the book: AMAZON

Waiting on Wednesday #169

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

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
Publication date: January 17th 2017 

Goodreads Summary:

OCD-afflicted Griffin has just lost his first love, Theo, in a drowning accident. In an attempt to hold onto every piece of the past, he forges a friendship with Theo's last boyfriend, Jackson. When Jackson begins to exhibit signs of guilt, Griffin suspects he's hiding something, and will stop at nothing to get to the truth about Theo's death. But as the grieving pair grows closer, readers will question Griffin's own version of the truth—both in terms of what he's willing to hide and what true love means

Well, I LOVED Adam Silvera's More Happy Than Not, so obviously I am going to read this one. Like, it's not even a question. All of his books go straight to the TBR now! 

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? Happy waiting and happy reading! 

Release Day Launch- Hard to Serve by Laura Kaye

                  

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Release Day Launch for Laura Kaye's HARD TO SERVE! Brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights, HARD TO SERVE is a standalone novella in her Hard Ink Series that also introduces her upcoming Blasphemy Series. Check out the note and excerpt from Laura below and grab your copy of this steamy novella today!

So many readers asked for more stories in my bestselling Hard Ink series, and I’m so excited to be able to give you just that in my new, super sexy HARD TO SERVE! HARD TO SERVE is an edgy stand-alone love story about a Baltimore police detective whose red-hot BDSM relationship with a new submissive seems like the perfect distraction from a trumped-up investigation against him until he learns that the woman is his boss’s daughter. Talk about sparks flying! I had so much fun writing this book, and I can’t wait for everyone to read it! And if you enjoy it, you might like to check out the whole Hard Ink series, now complete! Happy reading!

Excerpt:

Mia found herself alone with a kinda pissed-off looking Master Kyler. He wore angry well. As in, the harshness of the set of his jaw and the tight press of his lips and the narrow cut of his eyes—they were all hot, especially coming from a Dom. But she didn’t understand it.

“Um. Hello, Sir,” she finally said when he didn’t say anything.

“Mia,” he said, his gaze raking over her. “You look absolutely stunning tonight.” His voice was like gravel, rough and strained.

“Thank you. Are you okay, Sir?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I don’t…I don’t know.”

“Do you want to sit and talk?” Mia asked, concern for him flooding her.

Suddenly, Kyler pinned her to the cool wall. He braced his hands on either side of her head, and he was erect against her belly. She wanted to drop into a crouch and take him into her mouth. “Do you want vulgar honesty or watered-down politeness?” he asked.

The promise of those words made her core clench with need. “Vulgar honesty.”

He nailed her with a blue-eyed stare. “I don’t want to sit and talk. I want to fuck. Hard. I want to be aggressive. Maybe I even want to be a little mean.”

Mia’s heart was suddenly a runaway train in her chest. Because, sign her up! She let out a shaky breath. “That sounds…like someone’s going to have a good night,” she managed.

Kyler dropped his head to her shoulder on a groan. He knocked his forehead against the bone there once, twice.

“Did I say the wrong thing?” she asked. Because he was totally confusing her.

“That’s the thing, Mia. I don’t know.” He lifted his gaze to hers again.

“How can I help?” she asked.

For a moment, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, and when he opened them, it was like he’d centered himself and made some kind of resolution. “Are you game for what I just described?” He fingered the chunky silver-and-gold choker she wore around her neck.

Heat swept over her, her body already answering, already preparing. “Yes, Sir. I am.”

He gave a tight nod and backed up a step. “Let me show you the room I have in mind.” Taking her hand, he led her down the long hallway that shot off the side of the nave. She wasn’t sure if this was still part of the church building or something else, but she didn’t have long to wonder before Kyler stopped at a door and keyed in a code.

Lights came on as the door opened, and Kyler guided her inside with his hand at the small of her back.

Just the room’s theme turned Mia on. Concrete floor. Cinder-block walls with peeling paint. Light thrown from bare light bulbs surrounded by little cages. An iron cot bed with only a white fitted sheet. Rusted metal cabinet at the side that undoubtedly held a variety of toys and supplies. It looked like a basement or a warehouse—a place where a woman in a beautiful cocktail dress had no business being. A role started taking shape in her mind.

“Do you see where my head is tonight, Mia?” Master Kyler asked, his body almost rigid with tension.

God, she was going to enjoy helping him work out whatever had him so wound up. “Yes, Sir.”

   

   

About HARD TO SERVE:

To protect and serve is all Detective Kyler Vance ever wanted to do, so when Internal Affairs investigates him as part of the new police commissioner’s bid to oust corruption, everything is on the line. Which makes meeting a smart, gorgeous submissive at an exclusive play club the perfect distraction…

The director of the city’s hottest art gallery, Mia Breslin’s career is golden. Now if only she could find a man to dominate her nights and set her body—and her heart—on fire. When a scorching scene with a hard-bodied, brooding Dom at Blasphemy promises just that, Mia is lured to serve Kyler again and again. As their relationship burns hotter, Kyler runs into Mia at work and learns that he’s been dominating the daughter of the hard-ass boss who has it in for him. Now Kyler must choose between life-long duty and forbidden desire before Mia finds another who’s not so hard to serve.

Buy on Amazon

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Join the Hard to Serve FB Party on June 28!

Announcing a New Erotic Romance Series from Laura Kaye…

BLASPHEMY - the club first introduced in Hard to Serve

From the ruins of an abandoned church comes Baltimore’s hottest and most exclusive BDSM club. Twelve Masters. Infinite fantasies. Welcome to Blasphemy…

Bound to Submit is coming September 13, 2016

PRE-ORDER BOUND TO SUBMIT

Amazon | Barnes & Noble (Coming Soon) | iBooks | Kobo

About Laura Kaye: Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty-five books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense, including the Hard Ink and Raven Riders series. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.      

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp| HARD TO SERVE on Goodreads

     

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Review- Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis

Summary-

Choose the one guy you can’t have . . .

As captain of a San Francisco Bay tour boat, Pru can handle rough seas—the hard part is life on dry land. Pru loves her new apartment and her neighbors; problem is, she’s in danger of stumbling into love with Mr. Right for Anybody But Her.

Fall for him—hard . . .

Pub owner Finn O’Riley is six-foot-plus of hard-working hottie who always makes time for his friends. When Pru becomes one of them, she discovers how amazing it feels to be on the receiving end of that deep green gaze. But when a freak accident involving darts (don’t ask) leads to shirtless first aid, things rush way past the friend zone. Fast.

And then tell him the truth.

Pru only wants Finn to be happy; it’s what she wishes for at the historic fountain that’s supposed to grant her heart’s desire. But wanting him for herself is a different story—because Pru’s been keeping a secret that could change everything. . . .

Release date: June 28th, 2016

Published by: Avon

Page numbers: 384

Review-

I am a huge Jill Shalvis fan as you all know. So if there is a new series by her I will jump on it obviously. Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis is the first book in her Heartbreaker Bay series. Unlike her other series which are small town romances this one is based in San Francisco and is a bit of a change. I'm just gonna come out and say it. I LOVED Sweet Little Lies. It was a lovely romance with just the right amount of everything.

Pru is our heroine. She is a the captain of a boat for San Francisco Bay tours. She works hard and she is trying extremely hard to make up for her parents' mistake. Pru was a really sweet heroine. She has a mind of her own and she is ever so willing to help others out. She blames herself for a past incident and still finds it hard to forgive herself. Then she meets Finn and his friends and even though she doesn't want to, she gets her feelings all tangled up.

Finn on the other hand was a silent and strong hero. Finn and his younger brother own a pub which is right across from the apartment where Pru lives. After their father's death Finn had to step up and take care  of his brother and the pub and he's kinda forgotten how to have fun. Then he meets Pru and he can't help but be pulled into her orbit. Like all JS heroes, I loved Finn. He was the perfect combination of protective and possessive. He had a core group of friends who he stuck to but he was more than happy to include Pru in.

Pru and Finn were great together. As the title suggests Pru is hiding things from Finn but Jill Shalvis has a way of writing where there is no excess drama or angst. Pru and Finn had amazing chemistry and the sexy times were plenty. They shared an intimacy and balanced what the other was missing. 

Another thing I always appreciate about Jill Shalvis' books is that we not only get two amazing leads but we also get a full fledged cast of supporting characters. I loved Pru's friend. I loved Finn's friends even more. They were the right amount of nosy, providing comic relief when needed. I hope all of them get their own books. If you are looking for a feel good romance which will leave you with a smile on your face at the end of it, get your hands on Sweet Little Lies.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

Sales Blitz- For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfeund

For the Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfeund is on sale! Grab your copy today for 1.99! To celebrate the sale, Diana is sharing an excerpt with us as well as a giveaway!

 

About For the Darkness Shows the Stars: 

   

 Fans of Divergent will love Diana Peterfreund’s take on Jane Austen’s Persuasion set in a post-apocalyptic world.   In the dystopian future of For Darkness Shows the Stars, a genetic experiment has devastated humanity. In the aftermath, a new class system placed anti-technology Luddites in absolute power over vast estates—and any survivors living there.   Elliot North is a dutiful Luddite and a dutiful daughter who runs her father’s estate. When the boy she loved, Kai, a servant, asked her to run away with him four years ago, she refused, although it broke her heart. Now Kai is back. And while Elliot longs for a second chance with her first love, she knows it could mean betraying everything she’s been raised to believe is right. For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking YA romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.   

 Get your copy: Amazon | Apple iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google Play   

  Exclusive Excerpt:

FOUR YEARS AGO   

  Dear Kai, The sun is probably streaming in through the big barn windows now, which means you’re awake. And if you’re awake, it means you’re wondering where I went. I haven’t run away from you, I promise. But I knew that today of all days, they’d need me in the house. Tatiana may be the head of our household now, but she’s not the one the staff will look to in my mother’s absence. And there is so much to do to prepare for the funeral. Also, I have to go tell my grandfather what had happened to his daughter. I don’t want him to hear of her death from anyone but me. Thank you for last night. I wish I could say I don’t know why you are the one I ran to—you, Kai, not Tatiana or my father or even my grandfather. But I know why. And I have a confession to make. After you let me cry, after you let me sob and shout and choke on all that pain—after you did all that, and didn’t say a word—I didn’t fall asleep like you thought. Not right away. I lay there, wadded up into a ball, and you curved your body behind mine. You were barely touching me—your thigh against the edge of my hip, your arm draped lightly across my waist, your fingers entwined with mine. How many times have our hands touched, when we were passing each other tools or helping each other in and out of machines? Hundreds of times. Thousands. But last night, it felt different. You cradled my hand in yours, palms up, our fingers curled in like a pair of fallen leaves. Fallen, maybe, but not dead. My hand never felt so alive. Every place you touched me sparked with energy. I couldn’t sleep. Not like that. And so I bent my head, just the slightest bit, until my mouth reached our hands. I smelled the oil you never quite get off your fingers. I breathed in the scent of your skin. And then, as if that was all I was doing, just breathing, I let my bottom lip brush against your knuckle. Time stopped. I was sure you’d see through my ruse and pull away. I was sure you’d know that I was not asleep, that I was not just breathing. But you didn’t move, so I did it again. And again. And on the third time, I let my top lip join my bottom. I kissed your hand, Kai. I didn’t do it to thank you for letting me cry. For letting me sleep in your arms. I thought you should know. Yours, Elliot Dear Elliot, I know. When will I see you again? Yours, Kai   

     About the Author: 

 

 Diana Peterfreund is the author of a dozen books for adults, teens, and children. A lifelong Jane Austen lover and technophile, she lives outside Washington, DC with her family, her BBC miniseries collection, and her smartphone.You can visit Diana online at www.dianapeterfreund.com.         Website: http://dianapeterfreund.com 

 Twitter: @dpeterfreund 

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diana.peterfreund/   

 Enter Diana’s Giveaway!

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I probably don't talk about this book enough on the blog but For Darkness Shows The Stars is one of my all time favourite reads. Do give it a shot! :)

Cover Reveal- Archangel's Heart by Nalini Singh

  

Presents

COVER REVEAL:

Archangel’s Heart by Nalini Singh

Archangel’s Heart is the 9th book in the

Guild Hunter series

Archangel’s Heart releases November 1st!

Now Available for Pre-order HERE: http://bit.ly/28P4Qel

Add it to your TBR: http://bit.ly/GoodreadsArchangelsHeart

Blurb

One of the most vicious archangels in the world has disappeared. No one knows if Lijuan is dead or has chosen to Sleep the long sleep of an immortal. But with her lands falling into chaos under a rising tide of vampiric bloodlust, a mysterious and ancient order of angels known as the Luminata calls the entire Cadre together to discuss the fate of her territory.

Accompanying her archangelic lover Raphael to the Luminata compound, guild hunter-turned-angel Elena senses that all is not as it seems. Secrets echo from within the stone walls of the compound, and the deeper Elena goes, the uglier the darkness. But neither Raphael nor Elena is ready for the brutal truths hidden within—truths that will change everything Elena thinks she knows about who she is…

Nothing will ever be the same again.

 Author Information

Nalini Singh is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling, Guild Hunter, and Rock Kiss series. She lives and works in beautiful New Zealand, and is passionate about writing.

If you’d like to explore her other books, you can find lots of excerpts and free short stories on her website. Slave to Sensation is the first book in the Psy-Changeling series, while Angels’ Blood is the first book in the Guild Hunter series. The Rock Kiss books are all stand alone and can be read in any order.

STALK HER:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

THANK YOU!

The cover for Archangel's Heart is just stunning! Super excited for this one :)

Blog Tour: Promo Post + Giveaway- Beyond the Rising Tide by Sarah Beard

Beyond the Rising Tide

by Sarah Beard

Genre: YA Speculative Romance

Release Date: June 14th 2016

Sweetwater Books

Summary from Goodreads:

Kai met Avery only once--in the moment he died saving her life. Now when he's not using his new healing powers to help people, he watches helplessly as Avery's life is unraveled by his death. To help her, he risks everything by breaking the rules, dangerously blurring the barriers between life and death. 

Add to Goodreads

About the Author:

Sarah Beard is the author of YA novels PORCELAIN KEYS and BEYOND THE RISING TIDE. She earned a degree in communications from the University of Utah and is currently pursuing an MFA in creative writing from VCFA. When she's not writing, she referees wrestling matches between her three boys and listens to audiobooks while folding self-replicating piles of laundry. She is a breast cancer survivor, a baker of sweets, a seeker of good love stories, a composer of melancholy music, and a traveler who wishes her travel budget was much bigger. She lives with her husband and children in the shadow of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. You can follow Sarah on twitter at @authorsarahb, or atfacebook.com/authorsarahbeard.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

GIVEAWAY:

Info to come.

Blog Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

 Thank you for stopping by, and happy reading! 

Review- Three Sisters by Helen Smith

Three Sisters on Goodreads

 BOOK SUMMARY:

Three Sisters introduces twenty-six-year-old amateur sleuth Emily Castles in this popular new British mystery series.

Emily receives an invitation to a party in a large house at the end of her street, hosted by a mysterious troupe of circus performers. She accepts, despite her misgivings, because her dog has died and she needs cheering up. But when she witnesses a murder in the midst of the surreal entertainment, no one will believe what she has seen. Is Emily befuddled with grief at the loss of her pet? Or has something wicked happened in plain sight of all the party-goers? Emily and her eccentric neighbours attempt to discover the truth in a charming story that will have you giggling at every funny line.

Readers of M C Beaton or Alexander McCall Smith will enjoy discovering a new mystery author.

Chosen as a “Favorite Book of the Year” by Elizabeth at The Frugal Ereader.

This short mystery is a standalone story set in London. The Emily Castles mysteries can be read in any order, but if you’d like to read them in the order they were written and published, this is the chronology:

#1 Three Sisters (Emily Castles Short Mysteries)
#2 Showstoppers (Emily Castles Short Mysteries)
#3 Invitation to Die (Emily Castles Mysteries)
#4 Beyond Belief (Emily Castles Mysteries)



Release date: February 5th 2011
Published by: Tyger Books
Page numbers: 104

REVIEW: 

Previously, I have read a couple of short stories by Helen Smith, and they ended up being very interesting. Same goes for Three Sisters as well. It was a very interesting read that had a mysterious aura surrounding it since the first page and went on till the end of the story. Being a novella, the story was very well thought of and put down in a minimum number of pages. 

Three Sisters is a novella in the Emily Castles Mystery series. In this one, Emily has recently lost her dog. As she is still accepting the permanent absence of her feline half, she is invited to a communal party for which she makes a rather passable dish of potatoes. At this gathering, there is food, music, performances and art in all forms. 

Amongst these performers are twin sisters ZiZi and Zsa-Zsa who play with knifes and come from a Hungarian family that specialises in the same. There is also Emily's friend Midori who goes by the name Hana-bi as the DJ for the night. Just as Emily is cleaning up her plate after having food with a handsome guy named Joe, she sees Midori collapse. A series of unexpected and freaky events later, Emily is determined to find out the mystery behind all acts with the help of another neighbour, Dr. Muriel and Chirs, another bloke. 

Not the biggest fan of the novella, I still felt it was quite entertaining as it kept me wanting to know more in the tiny amount of time it took me to finish the story, which was very decent. The writing was nice as well, and the mysterious, almost alarming aura made it fun but gave me goosebumps as well. This is a really great novella for the occasional short length mystery read for when one is in the mood for that. 

Buy the book: AMAZON

Waiting on Wednesday #168

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

Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken

Publication Date: January 3rd, 2017

Summary-

All Etta Spencer wanted was to make her violin debut when she was thrust into a treacherous world where the struggle for power could alter history. After losing the one thing that would have allowed her to protect the Timeline, and the one person worth fighting for, Etta awakens alone in an unknown place and time, exposed to the threat of the two groups who would rather see her dead than succeed. When help arrives, it comes from the last person Etta ever expected—Julian Ironwood, the Grand Master’s heir who has long been presumed dead, and whose dangerous alliance with a man from Etta’s past could put them both at risk. 

Meanwhile, Nicholas and Sophia are racing through time in order to locate Etta and the missing astrolabe with Ironwood travelers hot on their trail. They cross paths with a mercenary-for-hire, a cheeky girl named Li Min who quickly develops a flirtation with Sophia. But as the three of them attempt to evade their pursuers, Nicholas soon realizes that one of his companions may have ulterior motives. 

As Etta and Nicholas fight to make their way back to one another, from Imperial Russia to the Vatican catacombs, time is rapidly shifting and changing into something unrecognizable… and might just run out on both of them.

I surprisingly enjoyed Passenger a lot so I'm looking forward to Wayfarer.

What are you waiting on? :)