Childstar 1

Childstar 1 by J.J. McAvoy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for honest review

Hard to rate because its only a novella.
3.5 Stars

Amelia London is America's sweetheart. Noah Sloan is America's bad boy. Both are former child stars and once were lovers. When they are cast as the leads in the upcoming erotic suspense blockbuster—Sinners Like Us—they are forced to come to terms with the issues that tore them apart to begin with.
As the whole world watches, can they keep their secrets hidden? After all, everybody is a sinner…

This is nothing like Ruthless People. The sex wasn’t as steamy. I thought the fake sex on set was hotter than the real stuff…and there wasn’t even a happy ending! I was excited about the sex scenes on set because those have always been interesting to me. What is it like to film one of those?? All I kept thinking was… lots of dry humping?? I guess I will never know because my answer was never answered… There was just a bunch of whipping (which I am all for). There should have been more of a build up to the sex, using the movie scenes as a catalyst. That being said, I wish the movie scenes were more detailed. I have to keep reminding myself that this was just a novella, but there could have be more details. I mean there has to be good descriptions in the sex scenes!! Maybe the next part will be better?Hard to rate because it is only a novella.

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Candidate

Candidate by Rachel E. Carter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

ARC won via author's giveaway

When given the option of an ARC or a free ebook upon release, which did I choose? The ARC of course! I couldn't wait to get my hands on this title. And boy did it not disappoint!

Riyah is only one year away of fulfilling her dream of becoming the Black Mage. Will Ry be able to beat the one person she has never been able to defeat: her rival, future husband, the non-heir?

Perhaps the gods will surprise us and it will be neither.”
“A true tragedy,” he agreed.
“Of epic proportions.”
His smile was just the faintest line in the shadows. “Two longstanding rivals.”
“And only one robe to bear.”
“Who will win?” Darren’s tone was wry. “The handsome prince?”
I grinned. “Or his valiant betrothed?

Her new life with Darren was supposed to be perfect, but she has only met complication after complication. Of course the King still loathes Ryiah. He'd rather she didn't exist. But what's done is done and Ry just wants is to stay under the radar and avoid his wrath. He really is a sick bastard. As the war seems to be coming closer and closer, Jerar is desperate for allies.

...This entire kingdom will fall to Caltoth. And when it does? Your lowborn wife will be the first blood I spill.

But Ry is taking full advantage of the time she has before her wedding and her princess duties call her. With Darren stuck at the Palace, Ry sets out to Ferren's Keep in hopes of some action and additional training before the Candidacy tourney. Rebels are on the rise and everything is not what it seems....

When the actually Candidacy started I think it was only 60% into the book. I remember thinking: what the heck else could possibly happen?? The answer: A LOT.

But seriously, that ending was mean! What is gonna happen?!?!

I knew I was going to love this book but it turned into much more than just a rivalry between two loves or the quest to become the next Black Mage. It was SO much more. And that made it oh so much better. I love me some betrayal, action, and suspense!

How many times can a person shatter?

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Ecstasy Unbound

Ecstasy Unbound by Setta Jay
My rating: 3.5  of 5 stars

*ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

3.5 Immortal stars

Centuries ago, a mating curse was cast to prevent the evil Gods from breeding Immortals for Apollo's army. Although the spell saved many lives by preventing Apollo's destruction, no immortal can breed unless it's with their true mate, which are practically impossible to find. This left the remaining Immortals with a minuscule population. The Gods, both good and bad, are banished, along with their families.

Alex is the daughter of Athena, making her a Demi-Goddess. Technically Alex and her brothers are not allowed on Earthly Realm. They should be banished along with their mother and father, but have survived under the noses of the Guardians, who are the protectors of the Realm.

Alex has had unusually erotic desires for one particular Guardian. Never have the spoken to each other. But he knows as she hides in the shadows and watches as he gives other pleasures. Uri knows she is a Demi-Goddess and also knows he is duty bound to banish her out of this Realm. He figures as long as she stays in the shadows and out of his way he doesn't have to banish her. Because he likes when she watches and wishes it was her writhing underneath him instead of these puny humans.

When Alex seeks help, Uri is the only being who can provide what she needs. What will happen when the two finally meet?

The story itself was intriguing. And the sex scenes.... WOW. Those were some of the hottest pages I've ever read! It was smokin hot.

My only complaint was that some elements of the story felt similar to something else I read, although I can't place it. But I loved the characters and the mind connection thing. Plus I'm a sucker for a well-done mate plot.

I think I will continue the series so long as the POV is from the same characters! I need to find out what happens with Cyril and the couples

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A Shade of Vampire

A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Available on KU

Sofia Claremont’s life has never been normal. As a child, her father was barely home and her mother… well her mother wasn’t exactly normal either. Eventually she was taken away and Sofia was left with her neighbors and the occasional check from her father. At least he hasn’t completely forgot about her.

On the evening of her seventeenth birthday, Sofia goes from walking the beach as a tourist in Cancun to being a captive of dangerous pale creatures who want more than just her blood. She is kidnapped and wakes on an inescapable, untraceable island known to the vampires as the Shade. She has no allies and her death in certainly in the future, it’s just a matter of who.

For five hundred years, the Shade has shielded the most powerful vampire coven from the sun. And for four hundred years their prince has been asleep. Now he is awake and Sofia is chose to be one of his. Despite his vast power and obvious thirst for her blood, his quarters might just be the safest place on this godforsaken island. Especially when Derek’s brother wants to claim Sofia as his own.
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For starters it’s a nice story, but I feel like I’ve read it before. It was like a combination of Twilight and Captured. That being said, I was not a huge fan of Twilight and I really like Captured (The Captive series, by Erica Stevens) so you can see how confused I am! Having like Captured as much as I did, I found it difficult to get into the rhythm of this story because it was so similar! Captured was just done better in my opinion.

I also had some trouble with the characters; I felt disconnected from them! There was an insta-love vibe coming from Derek and I did not dig it (when do I?). I think I was hoping for Derek to be a darker and more mysterious character. He is described as the Dark Prince but the only thing he had going for him was that he was the legendary prince. I think the book could have gained from a POV from just Sofia instead of the dual POV with Derek. That would have made Derek’s character more mysterious and we would be right there with Sofia questioning his motives. It would have made it so much more interesting!

The relationship between Sofia and Derek seemed very abrupt. As I mentioned before, Derek fell really fast and really hard. The next thing I realized was Sofia had him wrapped around her puny human fingers. I felt liked we were jipped of the love story between them. I wished the author would have gone into more detail on this, especially when Sofia always described him as brooding and stoic. There was a short paragraph that described her teaching him to use a camera and they spent hours taking pictures and laughing. It was the first time she experienced this bit of humanity from Derek and we only got a measly paragraph about it! That disappointed me.

There were a few holes in the story, especially with Sofia’s family. What ever happen to her parents? What was her mother? I don’t think she was just crazy, which means she had to have some type of paranormal powers. There are so many unanswered questions and I assume they are all solved in many many books that follow this novel.

I really wished I could’ve like this one a bit more, but it is what it is. I liked the last 15% of the novel the best and will probably continue the series because it just ended! I needed more than that!

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The Naked Duke

The Naked Duke by Sally MacKenzie
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Very predictable plot and naive characters. The main character was just too innocent for me. She didn't even know what a penis was or how a baby was even made. I just wanted to shake her. Or maybe slap some sense into her. Seriously? I know she grew up without her mother but she couldn't have been that oblivious to the world, could she?

And the whole thing from the beginning with the mixup of rooms and such, I thought it was just too unlikely. But apparently she is that dumb to not understand what was happening. I saw from a million miles away!

The story was just okay. I have a horrible ability to predict the outcome of some books. What can I say? It's a sixth sense. Or maybe its just that predictable?

Audiobook by Abby Craden
4 stars

I had to add this extra review of the audiobook narration because it was my first audiobook ever! At times I liked it, such as when I was walking across campus, I liked that I was able to continue the audio where I left off in the book. But the pace is just so much slower than what I am used to! And it just got awkward when the steamy parts came....(which by the way weren't all that hot and heavy to begin with.)

The only complaint I have about the narration was James' voice. It was just creepy in my opinion! He was supposed to be funny, and the voice just did not fit his personality.

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October Preview!

A lot of exciting things are happening this month! Of course it's October which means Halloween! In honor if this Holiday I'm going to up the ante by reading more horror and paranormal books! Who needs romance anyways, am I right? Blood, guts, and horror all the way!

Here's a list of books I am planning to read this October:

Of course this list will grow throughout the month. Feel free to send me any recommendations in these genres! Also I'm currently reading

October Release Dates

October 6th

Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next. And so she is taken in her sister's place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkiin's court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the first time. But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong. Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air. Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, and more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.

While America Singer's heart was torn between Aspen and Prince Maxon, her friend Marlee knew exactly what she wanted--and paid the price. Revisit the captivating world of Kiera Cass's #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series in this digital original novella. Told from Marlee's point of view, this all-new 64-page story returns to the fateful Halloween when Marlee and Carter were discovered, and reveals how that night--and Prince Maxon--changed their lives forever.

Gavin tells Delilah he's hers--completely--but whatever lives inside that house with him disagrees. After seven years tucked away at an East coast boarding school, Delilah Blue returns to her small Kansas hometown to find that not much has changed. Her parents are still uptight and disinterested, her bedroom is exactly the way she left it, and the outcast Gavin Timothy still looks like he's crawled out of one of her dark, twisted drawings. Delilah is instantly smitten. Gavin has always lived in the strange house: an odd building isolated in a stand of trees where the town gives in to mild wilderness. The house is an irresistible lure for Delilah, but the tall fence surrounding it exists for good reason, and Gavin urges Delilah to be careful. Whatever lives with him there isn't human, and isn't afraid of hurting her to keep her away.

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother's mysterious death, he's lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers. One day, he's tracked down by a man he's never met--a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god. The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years. When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision. Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die....

October 13th

It's been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring's king, Angra, disappeared--thanks largely to the help of Cordell. Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria's lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity--with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses--the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell order the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm's secrets, Meira plans on using the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe--even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves? Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Jannuari--leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell's growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter's security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken Kingdom and protect them from new threats? As the web of power and deception is woven tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom--and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter but for the world.

October 15th

There are few things superhero Angel wants in life. World peace. Unlimited chocolate banana milkshakes. Spandex outfits with pockets. What she doesn't want is the attention of the Executioner, a supervillain who kills with his touch. But the moment she survives a caress--and a kiss--at the mercy of his lethal skin, Angel realizes her problems just got a whole lot bigger. Because the only thing worse than a supervillain who wants to kill you is one who wants to keep you.

October 16th

Piper is feeling a bit overwhelmed. With Seiya and Lyre missing Ash recovering from near fatal injuries, and the Gaians picking fights with daemons all over the city, a girl can't help but think she might be in over her head. And this time, she's on her own. Before she even has a chance to investigate the Gaians' new stockpile of mysterious, high-tech weaponry, and old enemy ambushes her: Samael's henchman Raum. He wants Ash's help and won't take "get lost" for an answer. She doesn't know if she can trust Raum, but even more that that, she can't trust herself with Ash. Sooner or later he'll catch up to her, and she fears she won't be able to walk away from him a second time. Despite her feelings, it will take their combined strength to face a frightening discovery about the Gaians. She and Ash begin to realize that the daemon war is coming to Earth, and they might be the only ones who can stop it--if it's not already too late.

October 20th

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she'd have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded. The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that's little more than an ice-covered sick at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. with enemy fire raining down on them Kady and Ezra--who are barely even talking to each other--are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit. But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what's really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again. The novel is told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents--including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more.

October 25th

The Hunter wasn't trained to admit defeat. With the title of Chosen secured, Shanti and Cayan must look to the next steps in ripping back their freedom from the most deadly tyrant in the land. Unfortunately, they aren't the only ones with an agenda. Without mental power to defend themselves, the Westwood Lands are trapped within their own walls. Under the threat of torture and eventual death, a new power rises. To be discovered will mean death. But doing nothing is not an option.

October 27th

Welcome to the Candidacy! Where dreams go to die.... Twenty-year-old Ryiah is a black mage of Combat, but she is not the Black Mage. Yet. She's had her eyes on the legendary robe for as long as she can remember, and in just one year she will have a chance at her country's prodigious--and only--tourney for mages... Too bad she is going up against a certain non-heir. The one person she has yet to beat. Meanwhile Py has a year to prove herself in her new role as a war mage and the prince's betrothed. Neither is quite what she expected and complications arise on both fronts. War is on the horizon, and with so many enemies the kingdom of Jerar's fate is more than ever at risk. The Candidacy finally arrives, but it's only the beginning. Nothing can prepare her for what comes next.

Sara Grey is done hiding and done being afraid. The Master thinks he has her running scared, but she's taking matters into her own hands and taking her life back. With the help of her friends, she sets out to find the one person who can answer her questions about her past, and who may be able to lead them to the Master. On her journey, Sara faces new challenges and dangers, and learns that the world of good and evil is not clear cut as she had believed. She makes new friends, unexpected allies, and reconnects with people from her past. As her powers continue to change and grow, she transforms from a struggling girl into a strong young warrior. But at what cost? How much is Sara willing to sacrifice in her need for independence and her quest for the truth?  And will her newfound strength be enough to save her and the people she loves when she finally comes face-to-face with her powerful nemesis? Nothing could have prepared her for what is to come, and it will take everything in her to survive the final test of courage and love.

Hope City, Antarctica. The southernmost city in the world, with only a glass dome and a faltering infrastructure to protect its citizens from the freezing, ceaseless winds of the Antarctic wilderness. Within this bell jar four people--some human, some not--will shape the future of the city forever:
Eliana Gomez, a female PI looking for a way to the mainland.
Diego Amitrano, the right-hand man to the gangster who controls the city's food come winter.
Marianella Luna, an aristocrat with a dangerous secret.
Sofia, and android who has begun to evolve.
But the city is evolving too, and in the heart of the perilous Antarctic winter, factions will clash, dreams will shatter, and that frozen metropolis just might boil over....

I know that was a lot of information but I promise this month is going to be awesome! Feel free to leave a comment and share what you will be reading this month.

Happy Reading!

xoxo Rach