To fly is to be free

Emelia has always dreamed of a burning desire that can become reality if she can become a Rider of the Empire.

Freshly eighteen, Emelia is finally eligible to be recruited by the four Rider houses. However, there is only one she wishes to House Phalan, the house of the Dragon Riders.

After a rocky start involving a chance encounter with the charming First Prince of the Empire, Emelia is presented with the opportunity to escape her current circumstances– a mundane life in a small, forgotten mountain town – and sets off on the grueling journey to claim what she knows deep down is her becoming a Dragon Rider.

However, achieving her dream is not a simple task. The journey is a perilous one, and she must survive the horrors within the Great Forest before she can even reach Fate’s Hold, where her training is set to begin.

Emelia quickly learns safety isn’t guaranteed within Fate’s Hold, nor is becoming a Rider. To earn the opportunity to stand before a dragon, she must suppress the forbidden magic that has awakened within her and survive deadly elimination trials.

And through it all, there’s Scar, the mysterious twenty-year-old recruit whose past seems filled with darkness… and a deep loathing for the Empire. Can her heart handle the connection growing between the two of them, or will she need to harden herself in order to get what she truly wants?

With dangers on all sides, and an ancient evil stirring, the most important question is– can Emelia survive long enough to take her fate in her own hands and become a Dragon Rider?

My thoughts…

I was excited to dive into a story about a girl joining the ranks of magic wielders and mythical beast riders. In the world the author has created, there are several different branches of the military. You can become a dragon rider, manticore rider, griffon rider, or amphiptere rider. Em has her sights set on becoming a dragon rider, even though the road to getting there is incredibly dangerous. If I’m being honest, I would have loved to see her chosen by a manticore or griffon instead, simply because you don’t see those creatures featured as often.

About half of the book focuses on the recruits marching from their homelands to the location where the trials will take place. During this journey, we get to watch the characters forge bonds, learn what it means to become a dragon rider, and discover just how dangerous being a magic wielder can be. I actually enjoyed this part of the story because it helped build the world the author was creating. We learned things alongside the recruits, receiving information in much the same way they did.

However, once the recruits finally reach the training grounds and the actual elimination trials begin, the pacing takes a bit of a nosedive in the opposite direction. Suddenly, everything moves incredibly quickly, and we’re not given much time to experience what is happening. There are chapters that start with “one month later,” which means we’re skipping over massive chunks of time that I would have considered important for character development. These are the moments when I wanted to see the recruits working together, overcoming challenges, and actually forming the bonds that would carry them through the trials. Instead, we’re mostly told that these things happened rather than getting to experience them.

These time jumps also leave us with a romance that feels like it comes out of nowhere. We’re suddenly told that Em and Scar, one of the male recruits, have become intimate and are apparently an item. During their initial journey, Scar makes several attempts at flirting with Em, although I’d probably describe most of his comments as crude and immature rather than charming. He also has this habit of giving her smoldering looks one minute and turning dark and aggressive the next. We’re told he has a chip on his shoulder when it comes to the empire, but his behavior just felt all over the place. Honestly, I would have much preferred if he hadn’t been a romantic interest at all. Their attraction felt forced, and I never really bought into the relationship.

One thing I really enjoyed was the author’s decision to incorporate multiple mythical creatures into the military. Having dragon, manticore, griffon, and amphiptere riders, alongside the magic-wielding aspect of the story, creates a world with a lot of potential. There are some genuinely interesting ideas here, and I wanted to love what the author was building.

Unfortunately, between the unexpected romance, the time jumps, and the lack of meaningful character development, I struggled to connect with the characters. I wanted to see these recruits become more than just names on a page. Instead, I felt like I was being told about their relationships rather than getting to experience them firsthand. And when characters started dying, I didn’t feel much of anything. I wasn’t invested enough in them for their losses to have an impact.

Ultimately, I think there’s a lot of potential in this world and its premise, but I needed more time with the characters to really care about what happened to them.

He’s sworn to protect her. He thinks he’s the one in charge. She thinks . . . that’s cute.

By day, Gia Loren is a beloved Brooklyn trauma nurse with a coffee addiction and pink scrubs. By blood, she’s Giovanna Marcelli—daughter of one of the most powerful Italian mafia families in New York. And even if she walked away from that life years ago . . . the mob never forgets. . . and never lets you go.

When a rival boss is murdered and the city’s criminal underworld teeters on the edge of war, Gia is dragged back into the shadows and placed under lock-and-key protection, trapped in a safe house with a man who drives her crazy—in more ways than one. Nico Vitali, the Marcellis’ lethal, brooding enforcer and the one man completely off limits. Too bad Gia’s never been good at playing by the rules.

Ex-Marine. Combat-trained. Emotionless—at least on the outside. Nico’s life depends on his ability to control himself and his surroundings, and protecting Gia should be just another assignment. Except she refuses to behave. Fiery, flirty, and furious at her family and the situation, Gia turns captivity into a challenge, determined to rattle Nico’s unshakable discipline with every tease, every glance, every slow, dangerous smile.

Giving in would mean death. But resisting her just might be worse.

As sparks turn into a wildfire and the mafia war explodes around them, Gia must confront the truth about who she is and what she’s willing to claim. And Nico must choose where his loyalty lies—with the family he serves or their daughter he is sworn to protect.

Because in this city, love isn’t safe. It’s a liability.

And it might cost them everything.

My thoughts…

This romance shifts between both Gia and Niko’s points of view, which was a major highlight. Niko’s POV allowed him to become a more well-rounded character rather than just a grunting, grumpy hit-man. On the surface, he seems like a simple soldier who just follows orders, but his chapters reveals that he’s got some depth beneath the stoic exterior.

Gia, on the other hand, was a bit of a hot mess. She starts off acting like a spoiled princess, recklessly teasing Niko just to get a reaction out of him. While she eventually settles down, her initial snappiness when he doesn’t give her what she wants felt a bit off-putting like I was watching a petulant child react to something they don’t like. It honestly took me a little bit to come around to Gia’s character.

Much of the story is slow burn, and focuses on the two of them waiting out the danger in Niko’s apartment. While the tension is there, I felt like the true mafia action didn’t arrive until the very end. Between the meetings with rival families and the final showdown, the climax was exciting… I just wish we had seen more of that gritty, high-stakes world through Niko’s eyes earlier in the book.

Hollow Reigns bassist, Casey Beaumont, came to town for the holidays—to catch his bandmate’s Christmas show and have a little fun. One reckless night with a gorgeous stranger definitely counts as fun.

What he didn’t count on was running into her again… as the show’s costume designer. Or spotting the baby bump under all that holiday sparkle.

Casey was never great at math but he’s an expert at falling—for Ava, for the baby, and for a future he can’t stop picturing.

Ava Ramirez has been burned before. The last man who put a baby in her life walked out and never looked back. She is not handing her heart to a serial playboy no matter how cute he is.

But for once, Casey isn’t running. He’s all in.

Ava can’t make the same mistake twice… but would she be missing out on the family she so desperately wants?

Excerpt…

Meet the author

Paula Dombrowiak grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois but currently lives in Arizona. She is the author of Blood and Bone, her first adult romance novel which combines her love of music and imperfect relationships. Paula is a lifelong music junkie, whose wardrobe consists of band T-shirts and leggings which are perpetually covered in pet hair. Music is what inspires her storytelling.

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Giveaway!

Santa Baby Daddy Blitz

Finding a fake boyfriend for Christmas was easy… until it turned out to be my ex-boyfriend’s dad.

Coming home for Christmas was bound to be chaos, but I only made things worse when I claimed the handsome stranger who helped me in the airport as my boyfriend. Why? Because he happens to be my ex’s father.

Now Beau and I are left to fake it through the snow, the holiday, and a Christmas competition that is making our fake relationship feel a little too real.

Will we be able to win the competition and survive the holiday? Will I be able to keep things fake and festive? No matter what, I’ll be a Christmas Eve that Beau Winters will never forget.

My Thoughts…

This was a hot mess holiday and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I liked that when Eve asks Beau to “go along with it” and then states that he’s her boyfriend…. to her ex-boyfriend/his son’s face, Beau goes along with it! Even when he realizes that she’s his son’s ex-girlfriend, he still plays along because he doesn’t want to embarrass her. This right there knocked Beau up in my eyes, because he could have easily sold her out and told the truth, that he had no clue who she even was. Instead, he plays along.

The age gap didn’t bother me. Sure, he was old enough to be HER father, but it was fun seeing a younger, more playful side come out of Beau. You’re led to believe he’s this holiday Grinch, but you see him enjoying the holidays and you know it has a lot to do with who he’s spending it with, rather than the holiday cheer itself.

One thing that did bother me was the intimate scenes. I’m someone that likes a show, not tell, approach when it comes to reading. I want to experience the emotions. I want to see the trees covered in blankets of snow. I want the author to get me a chance to experience the story and be part of it, not just be told what’s going on. So the fact that the open-door scenes were them telling each other what they wanted or planned to do, and then having the other person go “YES! Do x, y, z!” or exclaiming that they love it, just felt cringe to me. It’s a personal preference, but I much prefer to not have narration going on when the characters are getting busy.

Overall this is a solid, fun, cute, holiday romance. I really liked the festivities, and that the book had this overall feel of Christmas. From the baking cookies, to the sleigh ride, to going to the tree farm to pick out a tree, the overall vibe of this book screamed Christmas. I loved the fake relationship aspect of it, especially considering the awkward dynamics of it. This would make an insanely fun holiday rom-com movie.

This post is linked to Sunday Post, Staking the Shelves, Sunday Salon, and #IMWAYR

October was pretty quiet. I got to hang out with my buddy while his family was away for the month. I’ve been watching him and his late brother since moving to Japan over 5 years ago. I spent a lot of rainy days this past month cuddling on the couch with him while I read. Unfortunately, shortly after his family returned last week, he stopped eating, and passed away. So, this week has been pretty hard on me. I’ve cried just about every day, but I don’t know if it’s truly hit me that I will no longer go to his house to hang out with him while his family is away.

I also got ready for my mom to come and visit for the month of November. We’ve been out here for over 5 years with no visitors, so the spare bedroom sort of turned into a huge closet for all the things I don’t know where to put. So it’s been a fun couple of weeks going through everything and either finding it a more permanent home, or donating it. It’s totally worth it though. My mom has never been to Japan and I haven’t seen her in a couple of years. So, I’m really excited for her trip.

This month has been pretty good for my reading and blogging. I feel like I’m finally starting to get into the grove of things again. Unfortunately, I think I threw away my blogging planner binder. I got it over a decade ago when I started blogging. I’m a visual person, and digital calendars just don’t stick with me. So I had a physical one that I wrote upcoming review posts, and tour posts on so that I could quickly glance at my planner and see if I had any missing dates for the month, or if I was about to double book myself. Because I hadn’t been active in blogging for a few years after moving out here, I worry that my lack of being able to find it means that I threw it away.

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When Jamie Prescott and her best friend Laurie attend a speed-dating event, Jamie expects to meet a roster of mediocre men and indulge in some street food afterwards. She doesn’t expect one of her dates to have his throat slit at their table during a blackout. After the lights come back on and there are more bodies on the floor, it becomes clear that dating can be a very dangerous pastime.

Armed with makeshift weapons and Jamie’s extensive knowledge of what NOT to do in a slasher, the remaining speed daters try to find an exit while the killer adds to their body count. As the night progresses and Jamie comes face-to-mask with the murderer, she begins to suspect they are committing the slayings to woo one of the daters and turn them into a real-life Final Girl. But Jamie has other plans, and as she fights for her life, she can’t help but find herself ensconced in a love triangle with two of the other survivors. Will she make it through the bloodshed to find her Happily Ever After? Or does this machete-wielding psychopath have another ending in mind?

My thoughts…

The idea of a rom-com slasher novel sounded like just the thing for October. However, this story went from good to WTF as it progressed, and here’s why.

Jamie is attending a speed dating event with her friend. Emphasis on the SPEED part. She meets people for a handful of minutes, before talked to the next guy. It’s not far in that the murders start. This story, theoretically takes place in the matter of a couple of hours. A couple of hours of being terrified you are going to die, seeing people get killed in front of you, and facing your attacker head on and escaping. So why… TELL ME WHY are we dry humping in the janitor closet with a man you met during the speed dating. A man who very well could be the killer? And let’s say that he’s not the killer or some stranger she just met. Let’s say he’s an ex that you’ve known for a decade, and trust…. what, pray tell, sets the mood? Apparently being covered in someone else’s blood, bleeding yourself, and being witness to a handful of people’s deaths/corpses. The fact that she’s drooling over, and then dry humping one of the participants… or really ANYONE during this entire thing just left me so utterly confused. It’s as if the author took a break from her manuscript for a bit, went back to her laptop and then COMPLETELY FORGOT what book she was writing.

Honestly, by the end of this story, the only thing that would redeem it would have been if Jamie dies.

She learned to read hands before she learned to read books.

Willow Jones knows the difference between a touch that asks and a touch that takes. She’s known it since she was five years old and a stranger’s hands taught her that safety is a word other people get to use.

Now she’s eighteen and in a constant state of survival.

Surviving a boyfriend whose love arrives wrapped in poison, surviving a trailer where the walls carry everything, surviving a school that accepted her as a line item and expects her to be grateful.

Then Grayson Parker says her name like it holds weight.

He’s her teacher, but he’s also the first person who’s ever told her to keep going.

In a world where every hand she’s ever known has left a mark, Willow has to learn the hardest lesson of all: that wanting something for herself isn’t the same as deserving the wreckage that follows.

Hurt people hurt people. But that was never the whole sentence.

 

My thoughts…

I knew when I read the synopsis that this was going to be a dark and complex read, but knowing something, and experiencing it are two different things.

You understand Willow on such a deep level as you witness her transition of being a daughter to two loving parents, to being a number in a system. She learns early in life about the masks that people wear and how their words can sound like one thing but underneath mean something completely different. The fact that as a small child, her foster home made her sleep in a wire dog kennel in the basement was just heart breaking.

Being witness to Willow going through all of these abusive relationships and seeing the damage it has done to her overall mental health was a very somber thing. She has her coping mechanisms, whether she realizes it or not, that allow her to survive this entire time. She is constantly logging people’s body language, which is something that’s helped her determine whether she was in danger or not. The fact that she compulsively does this with even the most basic interactions just goes to show how on edge and on alert she is at all time.

This story is not a fluff piece. It deals heavily with mental, and physical abuse, both past and present. You’re there from the start of it, up until the end of the abuse. I thought the author did a great job writing the book in such a way made us feel like we were Willow, rather than telling us what she was going through.

They survived the arena, but the fight for their lives has just begun.

Takkar must free the imprisoned Sam and Steve, inflict maximum damage, and flee the sector before they become just another casualty in a never-ending broadcast.

Amidst explosions, desperate escapes, and the thrilling rush of defiance, the trio’s bonds deepen. This time, they’re writing their own script while being hunted by the galactic reality show that abducted and paraded them for entertainment to the elite who could afford to watch.

The producers who enslaved them want revenge, and they’ll stop at nothing to turn their escape into the most spectacular show ever.

The lines between predator and prey blur as they race toward their freedom. But with no homes to return to, their only refuge is each other. Can their fierce connection survive a galaxy determined to tear them apart?

My thoughts…

This story is primarily about them escaping the compound, regrouping, and coming up with a strategy to demolish this intergalactic trafficking ring. Having them out of the compound and getting their plan figured out allowed more world building. We are introduced to more characters, we see the trio strengthen their bond, and there’s some character development on Steve’s part.

Overall it was a good way to wrap up the story. Even though both books combined are only 240 pages, the author was able to fit a lot in and keep the story flowing.

Life had gotten comfortable for Amara Addison, maybe too comfortable. Fabulous job, great friends, even an amazing ex-boyfriend who was her ride or die for life. Then Zaide Rossi sauntered into her life and suddenly everything changed. But no matter how crazy life became, finding Zaide made every last moment of chaos worth it.

Excerpt

Meet the author

Kim was born and raised in a tiny town in the wilds of northern New York, a pretty, little college town called Potsdam. She grew up in a family of lawyers and teachers and bucked all the traditions. Before becoming a writer, she spent a lot of years wearing combat boots in the US Army. Kim spent most of my time in boots working as a Signals Intelligence Analyst (no jokes!) and a linguist. She also worked as a tech writer, an entirely different kind of writing, for Corning Glass Works. Now, she’s an Army wife and a mom to four sons.  Over the years, her Army life has taken her all over the place and she’s been lucky enough to work and live in some pretty amazing places.  Now her and her family lives in Hawaii, just minutes from the beach!

Kim is a writer who is thoroughly in love with words. Reading them, writing them… she loves that words can take you outside of your world and let the unimaginable become imaginable. When she’s not writing or lounging on the beach, she’s probably somewhere with her nose in a book.

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Giveaway

Finding Zaide Blitz

Post-divorce and buried in student loan debt, Claire Collins eagerly enters a spicy business agreement with an acquaintance who wants to explore his primal desires. The deal is simple—thirty days as his sexual prey, $30,000 in her bank account. All she has to do is give Shane Underwood the hunt of his life.

Claire’s a physical education teacher and perfectly happy to spend her summer having wild, kinky sex instead of working her usual serving job. But once they cross the tree line, she realizes how little she knows about the corporate lawyer paying her to be his prey.

Shane is different in the woods. Brutal. Devastating. Feral.

That’s okay with Claire—she is, too. And she’s sinking her teeth a little deeper into Shane’s heart every time he catches her.

 My thoughts…

This quick intro was really nice. It’s as if the author knows they got about 50 pages to snag the reader or suffer the fate of a DNF. Let’s be honest, nothing is more boring than an info dump right when you crack open a book. So, the fact that the author just plops you right into the story as if you were privy to the lead-up, was a nice change of pace. Plus, like I said, the author catches you up quickly without a drawn out explanation.

I will be honest, I’ve read a lot of romances, but this “hunting” kink is a new one for me. So, I liked that this story felt fresh and new with the stage that has been set. The fact that Claire would get a head start and was always strategizing how to beat him at the game and not be found was interesting to witness. Between hiding up in trees, and using a river to hide her tracks, it was very playful and fun. At no point did this feel stalker or like there was a line between consensual and serial killer.

I liked that we got a few side characters added into the mix. It’s obvious that they will have their own book, so them being there is kind of a set up for their book, but I still liked that it wasn’t JUST Claire and Shane the entire time. It allowed the reader to see a more down-to-earth side of Shane.

With that said, I look forward to reading the next book in the series.