That's What HE Said Thursday #2

That's What HE Said Thursday is a bookish meme hosted by Lynn at Chapter Break Book Blog, where we share our favourite lines said by our book boyfriend to the heroine! 

This week, I'm sharing a quote said by William in Kelley York and Rowan Altwood's A Light Amongst Shadows to his boyfriend James. William is the perfect mysterious boy who I love so much. 

"It's quite cosy. Isolated, too. We'd not have to worry about being bothered. Room enough for both of us..."

Goodreads Summary: 

James Spencer is hardly the typical “troubled youth” who ends up at Whisperwood School for Boys. Instead of hating the strict schedules and tight oversight by staff, James blossoms, quickly making friends and indulging in his love of writing, while contemplating the merits of sneaking love poems to the elusive and aloof William Esher.

The rumours about William’s sexuality and opium reliance are prime gossip material amongst the third years. Rumours that only further pique James' curiosity to uncover what William is really like beneath all that emotional armor. And, when the normally collected William stumbles in one night, shaken and ranting of ghosts... James is the only one who believes him.

James himself has heard the nails dragging down his bedroom door and the sobs echoing in the halls at night. He knows others have, too, even if no one will admit it. The staff refuses to entertain such ridiculous tales, and punishment awaits anyone who brings it up.

Their fervent denial and the disappearance of students only furthers James’s determination to find out what secrets Whisperwood is hiding... Especially if it means keeping William and himself from becoming the next victims. 

Do share your posts with me! 

Review- The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo by Kerrelyn Sparks

Summary-

He's Out of Control

Dougal Kincaid has something to prove. After being injured in a battle with the Malcontents, he's ready for active duty protecting unsuspecting mortals from these villainous vampires who want to rule the world. But first he has to get control of himself . . . because just the sight of a certain lovely doctor has his injured hand doing some peculiar things, not to mention the sizzling sensation that burns along his dragon tattoo.

Vampires? Vampires?! As a scientist, Leah is having trouble believing that these immortal creatures exist. But there they are, standing in front of her, asking for help in solving a genetic puzzle that can save mankind. There's even one in a sexy kilt! Just one look into Dougal's gorgeous green eyes sets her pulse racing. But can she trust him—and the overwhelming desire that refuses to be ignored?

Review-

I swear Kerrelyn Sparks comes up with the funniest titles for her books! They always put a smile on my face and The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo most definitely did. The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo is Dougal and Leah's story. I had liked Dougal before so I was curious to see what his history was. This was a good read.

Dougal is the vampire who had lost his arm after injuring himself in battle. Now he has a metal arm in place and he wants to prove to everyone that he is just as capable of doing his duty as the others. Only when Leah comes into his life things don't go exactly the way he had planned. I really liked Dougal. I swear I love all the guys with their scottish accents. He was eager to know more about Leah and explore the connection they shared.

Leah is a scientist who is hired by the vampires to solve their genetic puzzle. I really liked Leah. Like any sane person she did not believe in vampires at first but she came around to it. Her past made it difficult for her to trust Dougal or anybody else. At times Leah's behavior did get a bit irritating for me as she was hurting Dougal with her actions. Even though they may have been unintentional.

Leah and Dougal were great together. They share so much more than just a connection. It was interesting to see Dougal's history and how it collided with Leah. They both had stuff to get over and they did resolve their issues. 

I also enjoyed seeing all the couples from the previous books. It is like one big happy family in the Love at Stake series and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how everyone is doing with kids and all. The Vampire with the Dragon Tattoo was an enjoyable read.

Book Beginnings on Friday #11

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

Winter

THE YEAR 2083 dawns in the icy shadow of winter's crystalline wings.

Snow is falling.

Flowers have gone dormant.

And a man sleeps in an endless winter of the mind.

- Ocean Light by Nalini Singh

Summary-

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh dives beneath the surface of her Psy-Changeling world into a story of passionate devotion and selfless love...

Security specialist Bowen Knight has come back from the dead. But there's a ticking time bomb in his head: a chip implanted to block telepathic interference that could fail at any moment--taking his brain along with it. With no time to waste, he should be back on land helping the Human Alliance. Instead, he's at the bottom of the ocean, consumed with an enigmatic changeling...

Kaia Luna may have traded in science for being a chef, but she won't hide the facts of Bo's condition from him or herself. She's suffered too much loss in her life to fall prey to the dangerous charm of a human who is a dead man walking. And she carries a devastating secret Bo could never imagine...

But when Kaia is taken by those who mean her deadly harm, all bets are off. Bo will do anything to get her back--even if it means striking a devil's bargain and giving up his mind to the enemy...

Blog Tour- Shadow Lilies by Lee Ann Ward

Shadow Lilies

The Shadow Lilies Book 1

by Lee Ann Ward

Genre: YA Mystery 

Sixteen-year-old Julia Reynolds struggles with her parents’ gypsy lifestyle and the urgent need to find out what happened to her missing cousin, Aubree. Soon Julia stumbles upon the mystery surrounding the Ursuline Convent in New Orleans, its banned third floor, and the blessed nails that seal its windows shut.

Solving the mystery of the Ursuline and blogging the story to the entire free world could gain more interest in the disappearance of Aubree. But there’s just one catch: the others who have explored this mystery have one thing in common…they’re all dead.

Things get even more complicated when Julia falls for Ryan Grandle, the hottest guy in her school, and he falls right back. Will she really risk her life and new love to explore an unsolved mystery for the story that could save her cousin? Turns out, staring death straight in the face is just the beginning.

Goodreads * Amazon

Lee Ann Ward is an award-winning fiction author with a background in journalism and mass communications. She is also the former Senior Editor of Champagne Books. Her love of books started at the age of three, and she's been addicted ever since. She's published six novels with her seventh and eighth on the way (SEE a YA paranormal by Evernight Teen in June 2017 and GLIMPSES OF WILDERNESS a YA romance by Inkspell Publishing in December 2017) and has written several more. When she's not writing, she's reading, singing, baking designer cakes, bowling and dreaming. She's married to Joe (who also happens to be her publicist) and they have 4 sons whom they adore, and a granddaughter who is the love of their life. They make their home in the small fishing community of Bayou La Batre, Alabama.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!

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Waiting on Wednesday #236

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

My Crunchy Life by Mia Kerick 

Publication date- June 26th 2018 

Goodreads Summary:

John Lennon fought for world peace, but sixteen-year-old hippie hopeful Kale Oswald’s only made it as far as tie-dying his T-shirts with organic grape juice. Now he’s ready to cement his new hippie identity by joining a local human rights organization, but he doesn’t fit in as well as he’d hoped.

After landing himself in the hospital by washing down a Ziploc bag of pills with a bottle of Gatorade, Julian Mendez came clean to his mother: he is a girl stuck in a boy’s body. Puberty blockers have stopped the maturing of the body he feels has betrayed him. They’re also supposed to give him time to be sure he wants to make a more permanent decision, but he’s already Julia in his heart. What he’s not sure he’s ready to face is the post-transition name-calling and bathroom wars awaiting him at school.

When Kale and Julian come face-to-face at the human rights organization, attraction, teenage awkwardness, and reluctant empathy collide. They are forced to examine who they are and who they want to become. But until Kale can come to terms with his confusion about his own sexuality and Julian can be honest with Kale, they cannot move forward in friendship, or anything more. 

I am quite excited to read this book as part of the blog tour for it, as I loved Mia Kerick's previous book that I read, so this should be interesting. 

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Blog Tour- Oliana Mercer Series by Marguerite Ashton

Shadowed Seats

Oliana Mercer Series Book 1

by Marguerite Ashton

Genre: YA Mystery

Oliana knows that every family has a secret, but she never expected hers to come from the grave.

High school senior Oliana Mercer dreams of attending the prestigious Reyersen Drama Academy and pursue her acting career. But when tragedy strikes, Oliana discovers secrets hidden from her by her adopted parents, dimming the lights on her perfect world. 

As the sins of the past surface, Oliana finds herself caught up in a tug-of-war between two families while the love for her boyfriend is tested. 

Determined to find some form of happiness in life, Oliana becomes student director in the high school’s senior play. When her best friend, Devin Worthy, dies during dress rehearsal, Oliana is re-cast as the lead.

Everyone thinks the death was a suicide, except Oliana, whose search for clues may be enough motive for the killer to murder again.

Goodreads * Amazon

Staged

Oliana Mercer Series Book 2

It’s been two weeks since Oliana Mercer learned a horrible family secret and witnessed the death of her best friend. Two weeks of heartache, secrets, and lies. While Oliana wants to move on, graduation day is a turning point for her, but for the worse.

Austin wants Oliana to stay and not attend Reyersen Drama Academy, a relative from the past wants her forgiveness, the custody battle for her little brother moves forward…and then there’s James whose recent drug habit landed him in trouble. Now he’s missing. After a charred body, believed to be James is found in a dumpster behind the high school, Oliana receives a text from James’ phone.

When Oliana turns to the police for help, she is pulled into a conflict that makes her question whether to obey the law while fighting with the family who abandoned her.

Goodreads * Amazon

Cold Read

Oliana Mercer Series Book 3

Settling into campus life at the posh Reyersen Academy acting school, Oliana Mercer prepares for an audition for a lead part in a play called Cold. She soon discovers that her new roommate is not only vying for the same role, but is seeing Austin - Oliana's ex-boyfriend. She does all she can to avoid Austin until he is found murdered at a party. With hardly any clues, she starts snooping around and descends into Reyersen's forbidden East Wing, which mirrors the set for the upcoming play.

As Oliana learns more about the school's past, she begins to suspect people around her might be involved and becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened. When another body is discovered, Oliana finds out that acting will be her best chance for survival.

Goodreads * Amazon

Burned Bridges

Prequel to the Oliana Mercer Series

Newly sober and dating the man of her dreams, Traci Collins is ready to enjoy the good life, until her new best friend, Olivia Durning, confides a dreadful secret far worse than Traci could imagine. 

Sealed by a shared bond, and unaware there is more to the secret than what she was told, Collins feels honor-bound to protect her friend when a confrontation between Olivia and her childhood tormentor turns deadly. 

A mysterious text forces Traci to question Olivia's actions and re-examine her loyalties. When the answers to Traci's questions endanger a life she treasures more than her own, she must decide if friendship has a limit. For a bridge once burnt severs ties forever...

Goodreads * Amazon

When Marguerite Ashton was in her twenties, she took up acting but realized she preferred to work behind the camera, writing crime fiction. A few years later, she married an IT Geek and settled down with her role as wife, mom, and writer. Five kids later, she founded the Crime Writer’s Panel and began working with former law enforcement investigators to create; Criminal Lines Blog, an online library for crime writers who need help with their book research.

She’s a workaholic who hides in her writer’s attic, plotting out her next book and stalking Pinterest for the next avocado recipe.

A member of Sisters in Crime, Marguerite grew up in Colorado, but is now happily living in Wisconsin and playing as much golf as possible. She can be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Website * Newsletter * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest

Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for exclusive content and a giveaway!

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Review- Midnight Alias by Elle Kennedy

Summary-

She’s smart, seductive, and in way over her head.

He’s her only way out.

An undercover DEA agent has gone off the radar. Suspecting an internal mole, the government needs Luke Dubois and his elite team of operatives to recover their man, and the New Orleans native thinks he’s found his way inside the dark underbelly of Manhattan: Olivia Taylor, the girlfriend of a mob boss and the sexiest woman he’s ever laid eyes on. His new mission objective? Get past Olivia’s defenses and convince her to take a chance—on him.

All Olivia wanted was to finish law school and live a normal life, but that dream was shattered when one dangerous night put her deeply in a mobster’s debt. Now Luke and his team will help her escape—in exchange for intel on the missing agent. But Olivia doesn’t anticipate her intense attraction to the reckless Louisiana charmer or that she’ll be forced to risk everything—including her heart.

Review-

Midnight Alias is the second book in Elle Kennedy's Killer Instincts series. I had really liked the first book in this series and it had me curious to see how the stories went forward with other couples so I picked up Midnight Alias right after and I am so glad I did because I think I enjoyed Midnight Alias even more than Midnight Rescue.

Luke is the hero in Midnight Alias. This sexy cajun was portrayed as a total player in the last book with his good looks. Here we see what is beneath the surface. When an undercover DEA agent goes off the radar Jim Morgan's team has to recover the man. This is where Luke meets Olivia who is one of the strippers in the club owned by the people Luke and his team are investigating. It is a total case of insta love where Luke is concerned. It was cute seeing him so smitten with Olivia.

Olivia, again, was not a very easy heroine to like. I don't know why that keeps happening with me in this series. She is actually a student who has to take care of her mother who is in remission the third time from cancer. Therefore, Olivia has no option but to work in the club to pay the bills. It also doesn't help that the owner of the club thinks himself to be in love with Olivia.

Olivia was slow to trust Luke but I liked how Luke was always so willing to help her out. Luke and Olivia defintiely had chemistry but while Olivia was hesitant Luke was always very open about his feelings. I liked how Luke was willing to work in their relationship and he was so willing to try for a serious commitment.

Some threads from the previous book are continued in this one. I am SO happy that Trevor and Isabel's book is next because those two are my favorite. The sparks flying between Jim Morgan and Noelle can't be ignored and D, Ethan, Liam and Sully make for great comic relief. I enjoyed Midnight Alias.