Book Review: Chase Tinker and the House of Magic (Chase Tinker, #1) by Malia Ann Haberman

Chase Tinker and the House of Magic (Chase Tinker, #1)  

By Malia Ann Haberman

Release Date: August 15th, 2013

Format: Ebook (ARC)

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Blurb From Goodreads:

In Chase Tinker's world, magic, lies and secrets can be a lethal combination...

Thirteen-year-old Chase Tinker can't understand why he has the power to move things with his mind. Besides that, his dad has been missing for over a year, causing his mom to be too upset to pay much attention to her sons, so now he's been busted for shoplifting. As if this isn't enough to worry about, his younger brother Andy suddenly has a weird magical ability too.

Can things get any crazier? Chase thinks.

Then, a grandfather they thought to be long dead arrives at their door. He wants Chase and Andy to come visit him for the summer so they can learn about their supernatural heritage and why they have magical powers in the first place.

The boys soon find out that Grandfather, along with their cousin Janie, lives on a remote island in the middle of Puget Sound in an out-of-this-world house where fantastic magic can be found in practically every room, stairway and corridor. Chase can't believe their dad has been keeping so much from them.

It's an even bigger shock when Chase learns that all their magic is controlled by a very powerful and mysterious Relic in the attic, and if anything happens to this relic, every bit of Tinker magic will be lost forever. He's even more disturbed when he learns his family has a dark and powerful enemy that is determined to steal all their magic, their house and their relic. 

Now Chase must find a way to stop these evil beings, while at the same time figuring out what has happened to his dad, unraveling even more Tinker lies and secrets and not letting on that he has a huge crush on the housekeeper's daughter.

My Review:

A very big thank you to Malia Ann Haberman for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Note to author: I'm really sorry for the extremely late review. 

For a self-pub author, Chase Tinker and the House of Magic is a really well written story. I truly applaud Malia for her talented writing and her daughter for the good editing. 

The story sucks you in right from the beginning 'till the end. It keeps rolling and there's simply no chance for you to get a breather from all the nail-biting events that keep happening.

The characters are really well rounded and Chase's family situation (absent father and a mother who works all day to support the family) really reflects real life situations out there in the world.

All in all, Chase Tinker and the House of Magic is a simple yet utterly entrancing and interesting story. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a fun read.

Book Review: Blood Flows Deep in the Empire (The Szolites #1) by N. Isabelle Blanco

Blood Flows Deep in the Empire (The Szolites #1)
By N. Isabelle Blanco
Release Date: March 7th, 2013
Format: Ebook
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Blurb From Goodreads:
Dyletri, God of Fertility, has locked away his powers. No woman is allowed to touch him, not until he can return his long-dead lover back to life. All he has to do is sacrifice one human girl, a girl who unlocks his powers and rips his dormant lust right out of his body. Trapped by his promise, Dyletri has no choice but to watch Ismini die, no matter how much he wants her.

Yet the darkness of his calling is spiraling within him, demanding he claim the human as his. If he goes back on his promise, the energy of the Fates will cause untold destruction in the Universe. That doesn’t change how Dyletri’s begun exhibiting symptoms that point to more than just lust. How does he allow Ismini to die when she’s come to own him from the inside out?

Desire and torment spiral into something much darker than obsession, more turbulent than an addiction, and something much more brutal than a mere soul-mating. As a war is being rekindled right under his nose, Dyletri will have to come to terms with a destiny eleven thousand years in the making. He thought he’d known what path his future would take, but he’d been wrong. Now the one woman he truly loves might pay the price for his decision.


Blood Flows Deep in the Empire is the first in a series that will pit free-will against Destiny, Destiny against Fate, and love against brutal desire. Everyone likes to think they have a choice as to who they end up with, but as they rise to face the greatest threat they’ve ever known, even the Gods will learn they have to bend to Destiny’s whim to survive.

My Review:
It was a great premise with amazing characters. Aside from slight grammatical errors, one other issue that constantly bugged me was how easily Ismini and her human friends accepted the existence of the Szolites and their realm.

I just thought that it wasn't properly explained because the author made it seem like it was normal for those Szolites gods to appear before humans and they would just accept it.


Other than that, the flow was a bit messy at various sections in the story but it did not affect my reading enjoyment. Looking forward to Zen and Eve's story.

Book Review: The Perks of Being a Beauty (Ugly Ducklings #3.5) by Manda Collins

The Perks of Being a Beauty (Ugly Ducklings #3.5)
By Manda Collins
Release Date: June 18th, 2013
Format: Ebook
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Blurb from Goodreads:
The beautiful Miss Amelia Snow is not accustomed to being snubbed by the gentlemen of the ton. But when her mother dies unexpectedly, forcing Amelia to take employment as companion to a wealthy cit’s daughter, she quickly learns to play down her looks or risk losing her position. When her employers, the Smithsons, decide to throw a country house party, she is determined to fade into the background. But how can she when the Smithson’s guest of honor is Lord Quentin Fortescue, the childhood friend who stole her heart?


Younger son, Lord Quentin Fortescue, is far more interested in his host’s cotton mills in the north than he is in courting the man’s dim-witted daughter. But it’s the girl’s companion who makes him look twice. Years ago, Miss Amelia Snowe rejected his proposal without a backward glance. Quentin has molded himself into just the sort of man she’d have wanted back then, but is Amelia still the smug beauty who broke his heart? And can either of them risk their newfound positions to indulge the fiery attraction that burns between them?

My Review:
Amelia has been a thorn in my butt in the series, the bully who gets off on preying on others. In this novella, Amelia turns over a new leaf and I actually enjoyed reading about her.

It wasn't annoying at all and it was so heartwarming to see her genuinely caring for her charge. Readers are told of her backstory and why she behaved like she did before.


Nevertheless, I was happy for Amelia finally getting her very own HEA and at the same time am very sad to see this lovable series coming to an end.

Book Review: Bride by Mistake (Devil Riders #5) by Anne Gracie

Bride by Mistake (Devil Riders #5)
By Anne Gracie
Release Date: January 3rd, 2013
Format: Ebook
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Blurb from Goodreads:
Eight years ago, Lieutentant Luke Ripton made a hasty wartime marriage-in-name-only to protect a young girl from a forced union and left her protected in a remote mountain convent. Now, Luke is Lord Ripton, but he has been unable to obtain an annullment. Which leaves him no choice but to claim a wife he doesn't want.

For nearly a decade, Isabella has waited like a princess locked in a tower, dreaming of her handsome, dark-haired prince. Her dreams are shattered when Luke reveals himself not as a prince, but an autocratic soldier, expecting her unquestioning obedience, which is something Isabella's fiercely independent nature will not tolerate.


And while Luke and Isabella's fiery personalities clash at every turn, they remain bound to their vows, never expecting that the passionate fury they share could become passion of a different kind...

My Review:
The blurb of this story instantly drew me in as it kind of reminded me of my fav series, The Wife Lottery by Jodi Thomas and it was unputdownable as soon as I started it.

I really love the story and the characters. They were so fiery, interesting and engaging. It was really well written but the reason I subtracted a star was because of how Luke's greatest affliction was resolved. I thought it was done too quickly, before I knew it, Luke's nemesis was already gone and done for.


Overall, this was a story worth investing and losing sleep over and yes, this series can be read out of order or as a standalone.

Book Review: Only a Duke Will Do (School for Heiresses #2) by Sabrina Jeffries

Only a Duke Will Do (School for Heiresses #2)  
By Sabrina Jeffries
Release Date: August 29th, 2006
Format: Ebook

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Blurb from Goodreads:
Louisa North likes her independence very much, despite her royal father’s protests. So when Simon Tremaine, the dashing Duke of Foxmoor, whom she once loved — and had exiled from England — returns bent on marrying her, she’s skeptical.

The fire between them burns as hot as ever, but when Simon’s ulterior motive for marriage is exposed, along with the deeply buried secrets of his past, Louisa vows to make him pay . . . and the price will be his heart.


“Jeffries fans will devour this treat!” — Romantic Times

My Review:
After the somewhat moderate Never Seduce a Scoundrel (first in the series), I became skeptical and hesitant on continuing the series. I stopped for quite some time and indulge in other HRs. But, eventually, I decided to give the second book a go.

Boy, am I blown away because to be honest, this was one of the most impressive and powerful story I've ever come across, which was very political too. I was surprised that I really enjoyed it because political stories kinda turn me off but Sabrina Jeffries' adept writing made it into such an engrossing read.


Cheers to Simon and Louisa's story. So glad to finally see them have their HEA.

Book Review: The Secrets of Mia Danvers (Dangerous Liaisons #1) by Robyn DeHart

The Secrets of Mia Danvers (Dangerous Liaisons #1)
By Robyn DeHart
Release Date: June 18th, 2013
Format: Ebook/Kindle
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Blurb from Goodreads:
A lone witness finds her protector…

Since losing her sight in a childhood accident, Mia Danvers has resided in a small cottage on the vast Carrington estate. Thought to be dead, Mia lives a life of virtual seclusion—until one night, while walking home, she happens upon a horrendous crime.

Alex Foster, Eighth Duke of Carrington, lives according to society’s expectations for him. He’s never met the woman who lives in the cottage at the edge of his property. But when she arrives at his door in the pouring rain terrified and claiming she has witnessed a murder, she seizes his attention.


Mia is determined to help the authorities track down the culprit, even though the only person willing to accept her aid is the handsome, arrogant duke. Working closely together proves difficult as Mia’s beauty and independence tempts Alex to ignore convention and follow his desire. But what neither of them know is that this murderer has struck before in Whitechapel, taunting the British press only to vanish—a ruthless killer who knows that Mia is the only living witness to his crime…

My Review:
The day I bought this was also the day I finished it. So bloody good, thrilling and frustrating. You know, I didn't know anything about the author and the existence of this brilliant story. I read about it in my Heroes&Heartbreakers' subscription and it was these two main factors that drew me to get it:

1. The Murder - Yeah, I'm a sucker for murder and mystery stories/plot.

2. Blind Heroine - I know right? I've a penchant for blind, deaf, bluestocking and disabled one way or another heroes and heroines. They just somehow draw me in. Every single time.

To me, the beginning of the book should already hook me in because my mind can start to wander if it doesn't and Mia Danvers brilliantly succeeded. The characters were awesomely fleshed out and I LOVE that the murders and main arc for the series are centered around the infamous Ripper. I have always been fascinated by this unknown serial killer. Love his POV in the story as they added a creepy and thrilling feel to the whole thing. Really kept me on my toes.

I'm so glad that the side characters got their HEA while Alex frustrated me. At a certain point, I felt like slapping Alex awake but when I think back about the whole situation, it was understandable why Alex behaved and reacted the way he did.

As a conclusion, The Secrets of Mia Danvers is a great start to a brand new series by Robyn DeHart. I'm so glad to have found another historical romance author and series to love. Now, I simply can't wait to read Drew's story. I really feel for ya, darling. If no one wants you, I do ♡

Thank you Robyn for this wonderful book :D

Book Review: Highlander Most Wanted (The Montgomerys and Armstrongs #2) by Maya Banks

Highlander Most Wanted (The Montgomerys and Armstrongs #2)

By Maya Banks

Release Date: March 19th, 2013

Format: Ebook (ARC)

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Blurb from Goodreads:

Maya Banks, the New York Times bestselling author of erotic romance, romantic suspense, and contemporary romance, has captivated readers with her steamy Scottish historical novels, perfect for fans of Julie Garwood. In Highlander Most Wanted, a reclusive woman content to live in the shadows shows a Highland warrior the true meaning of love. 

  

Genevieve McInnes is locked behind the fortified walls of McHugh Keep, captive of a cruel laird who takes great pleasure in ruining her for any other man. Yet when Bowen Montgomery storms the gates on a mission of clan warfare, Genevieve finds that her spirit is bent but not broken. Still, her path toward freedom remains uncertain. Unable to bear the shame of returning to a family that believes her dead or to abandon others at the keep to an imposing new laird, Genevieve opts for the peaceful life of an abbess. But Bowen’s rugged sensuality stirs something deep inside her that longs to be awakened by his patient, gentle caress—something warm, wicked, and tempting.

Bowen seizes his enemy’s keep, unprepared for the brooding and reclusive woman who captures his heart. He’s enchanted by her fierce determination, her unusual beauty, and her quiet, unfailing strength. But wooing her will take more than a seasoned seducer’s skill. For loving Genevieve, he discovers, means giving her back the freedom that was stolen from her—even if it means losing her forever.

A very big thank you to Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for providing me with an ARC of this book. 

My Reaction Upon Receiving the Approval (cuz I'm such a big fan of this series):

My Review:
Highlander Most Wanted picks up where Never Seduce A Scot leaves off. The pacing of the story is very much similar to the first book in the series, albeit a little slow going. Nevertheless, the characters are engaging, the plot crisp and solid.

Genevieve is such a strong woman. After all the tragedies and horrors that have besieged her, she does not turn bitter. Instead, she possesses a beautiful heart and spirit. Her tenacity and determination are greatly admired.

Bowen is the epitome of male perfection – very much like his brother Graeme. His love for Genevieve is so deep that he is willing to sacrifice his own happiness to give back what has been stolen from her.

Although the attraction between Bowen and Genevieve is immediate and mutual, the build up to the romance keeps you at the edge of your seat. Once again, Maya Banks has crafted a captivating and heartfelt story of courage, honour, hope and love.