Series Spotlight: The Original Sinners - Tiffany Reisz

I wanted to do a bit of a spotlight on a new series that has really caught my attention this year. Tiffany Reisz's debut novel The Siren was one of the most unusual books I've read in ages and I absolutely loved it. I don't think this series is getting the attention it deserves here in the UK so I'm hoping to encourage a few people to pick it up and give it a try. I will warn my regular readers that this is an ADULT series and not one I'd recommend to under 18's, it is also far from your traditional romance novel. There is no happy ever after at the end of the first book - in fact there isn't really even a happy for now - but as it's the first book in a series I have high hopes that things will be resolved eventually! If you're looking for the kind of book that is going to push your boundaries, that special something to read after Fifty Shades of Grey then I would definitely recommend checking out The Original Sinners series.

Here is a bit more information about the series including links to my reviews (where available):

The Original Sinners Series:
Seven Day Loan (Novella)
Little Red Riding Crop (Free short story found on the author's website or Amazon Kindle)
Submit to Desire (Novella)
The Siren
The Angel
The Prince (November 2012)

Visit Tiffany Reisz's website for more information.

The Siren

The series starts with The Siren and although there are a couple of prequel novellas I think you're probably better off reading those after you've read this book so you have a bit more knowledge of the characters involved. Once you have read this make sure you check out the free short stories that Tiffany has posted on her website - they are great for getting extra insight into the characters and their backgrounds.

UK Cover / US Cover

In the world of kink authors, she’s the top.

Notorious Nora Sutherlin is famous for her delicious works of erotica, each one more popular with readers than the last. But her latest manuscript is different—more serious, more personal—and she’s sure it’ll be her breakout book…if it ever sees the light of day.

Zachary Easton holds Nora’s fate in his well-manicured hands. The demanding British editor agrees to handle the book on one condition: he wants complete control. Nora must rewrite the entire novel to his exacting standards—in six weeks—or it’s no deal.

Nora’s gruelling writing sessions with Zach are draining…and shockingly arousing. And a dangerous former lover has her wondering which is more torturous—staying away from him…or returning to his bed?

Nora thought she knew everything about being pushed to your limits. But in a world where passion is pain, nothing is ever that simple.

The Angel

The second book in the series is The Angel which was released in the UK on the 5th of October. I have been dying to get my hands on this book for ages so keep an eye out for a review as soon as I can get to it.

UK Cover / US Cover

No safe word can protect the heart

Infamous erotica author and accomplished dominatrix Nora Sutherlin is doing something utterly out of character: hiding. While her longtime lover, Søren—whose fetishes, if exposed, would be his ruin—is under scrutiny pending a major promotion, Nora's lying low and away from temptation in the lap of luxury.

Her host, the wealthy and uninhibited Griffin Fiske, is thrilled to have Nora stay at his country estate, especially once he meets her travelling companion. Young, inexperienced and angelically beautiful, Michael has become Nora's protégé, and this summer with Griffin is going to be his training, where the hazing never ends.

But while her flesh is willing, Nora's mind is wandering. To thoughts of Søren, her master, under investigation by a journalist with an ax to grind. And to another man from Nora's past, whose hold on her is less bruising, but whose secrets are no less painful. It's a summer that will prove the old adage: love hurts.

The Prince

Thankfully we don't have to wait too long for the third book in the series as The Prince is released on the 20th of November!

UK Cover / US Cover

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer...preferably in bed. That's always been Kingsley Edge's strategy with his associate, the notorious New York dominatrix Nora Sutherlin. But with Nora away in Kentucky, now it's Kingsley's chance to take her place at the feet of the only man he's ever wanted -- Søren, Nora's on-again, off-again lover -- until a new threat from an old enemy forces him to confront his past.

Wes Railey is still the object of Nora's tamest yet most maddening fantasies, and the one man she can't forget. He's young. He's wonderful. He's also thoroughbred royalty and she's in "his" world now. But Nora is no simpering Southern belle, and her dream of fitting into Wesley's world is perpetually at odds with her dear Søren's relentlessly seductive pull.

Two worlds of wealth and passion call to her and whichever one Nora chooses, it will be the hardest decision she will ever have to make... unless someone makes it for her....

If you've already started the series I would love to hear your thoughts on it (leave me a link to your review if you've posted one & I'll come and check it out). Who are your favourite characters? Do you have a preference on who you want Nora to end up with? If you haven't started reading it it yet what do you think of the synopsis? Is the book on your wish list already or will you be adding it? Or doesn't it appeal to you in the slightest? Lastly do you have any preference between the UK and the US covers? I think the US covers stand out well, particularly the cover for The Siren but I have to say I prefer the continuity of the UK covers - they all fit together better and look like they're part of a series.

Review & International Giveaway: Playing with Fire - Tamara Morgan

Fiona Nelson has always been one hot ticket—even before she took the conversion serum that gave her superhuman abilities. Fiona's powers come at a price: lack of human contact, or she won't be the only thing burning. When she loses control of her emotions, her fire powers run rampant...and she's hurt enough people already.

Including herself.

But when the man behind her conversion returns to blackmail her into helping him gain power, the only person she can turn to is Ian Jones, the man who broke her teenage heart. The man determined to expose the criminal known as Fireball, whose explosive escapades are just a little too close to Fiona's M.O.

Ian is convinced Fiona's dangerous, convinced she's Fireball, and convinced he'll damn himself if he doesn't resist a heat that's always drawn him to Fiona like a moth to a flame—but Ian has his own secrets.

And he'll learn far too soon what happens when you play with fire.

Visit Tamara Morgan's website for more information.

Review:
Fiona's life went downhill when she was labelled a slut at school thanks to her close friend Ian and she spent the rest of her teens trying to live up to her reputation. But since she agreed to take the conversion serum and ended up with a rather uncontrollable power to create fire human contact has been impossible. Any strong kind of emotion causes her power to flare doing damage to anyone or anything around her so although she has tried to learn to control the ability she has had to become a loner just to keep others safe. When someone with similar abilities starts making random attacks in her area Fiona is under suspicion but the person who will either condemn her or prove her innocence is none other than the boy who broke her heart and ruined her life all those years ago. Ian has always regretted the way he treated Fiona but how can he prove it to her?

I can never resist a story about humans with supernatural abilities so I couldn't wait to read Playing with Fire. This was my first story by Tamara Morgan but it won't be the last and I'm wondering if this is going to be the first instalment to a new series. If it is I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more stories. As a novella with around 80 pages this is a quick read and doesn't allow the author much time for world building but she has still managed to give a bit of history around why people took the conversion serum and the effects it had on them. It was a really interesting idea and definitely has scope for lots more set in this world.

I liked Fiona's character but I have to admit I found myself a little frustrated at how she acted up to the reputation she has had since she was a teenager. I did feel sorry for her though, especially the way she has always been used by the men in her life and that she is now living quite a lonely and solitary existence. Ian was a bit of a geek at school and that trait has carried over into his adulthood but he has matured a lot and is much more confident than he used to be. I actually have quite a soft spot for nerds so it wasn't difficult to develop a bit of a crush on him, particularly when he was so protective of Fiona. The romance does feel a little rushed but it can be hard to achieve the right balance when writing a novella and considering the world building that takes place Playing with Fire was still an enjoyable read.

If you like stories about superheroes or characters with X-Men type abilities and are looking for a quick fun read then you can't go far wrong with this one. I'm hoping that this does indeed turn into a series and I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for longer books in future if it does that allow a bit more time for character development and a slow build of the relationship. I'll definitely keep my eye out for more by Tamara Morgan in the future though.

Source: Received from Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:



Giveaway Details:

Thanks to Entangled Publishing I have one ebook copy of Playing with Fire to give away.

• Giveaway is open internationally and one winner will receive a PDF file containing Playing with Fire by Tamara Morgan.
• The winner's prize will be sent out directly by my contact at Entangled Publishing so I will need to pass on your email address so they can send your prize.
• The winner will be chosen at random from all entries received.
• To enter please use the rafflecopter below, there are optional extra entries for following or tweeting about the giveaway but these are not required to enter.
• The giveaway will close at 12:01am EST on the 18th of October 2012 and the winner will be announced soon afterwards. The winner's email address will be passed to Entangled Publishing so their prize can be sent.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Beautiful Disaster - Jamie McGuire

GOOD GIRL
Abby Abernathy doesn't drink or swear and she works hard. Abby believes she has buried her dark past, but when she arrives at college, her dreams of a new beginning are quickly challenged by the university's walking one-night stand.

BAD BOY
Travis Maddox, sexy, built, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs - and wants - to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight club, and his days as the notorious college Lothario.

IMMINENT DISASTER?
Intrigued by Abby's resistance to his charms, Travis tricks her into his life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain celibate for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis's apartment for the same amount of time.

OR THE START OF SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL?
Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match. Or that this is the start of an obsessive, intense relationship that will lead them both into unimaginable territory . . .

Beautiful Series:
Beautiful Disaster
Walking Disaster
A Beautiful Wedding (Novella)
Beautiful Oblivion
Beautiful Redemption (release date to be confirmed)

Visit Jamie McGuire's website for more information

Review:
It's hard to know where to start when it comes to reviewing Beautiful Disaster. This is the kind of book that readers have either loved or hated and I have to admit to enjoying every minute of it. If you want to read about a perfect and healthy relationship then this isn't going to be the book for you but if you like your stories with a lot of angst between two dysfunctional people then you'll be completely hooked. Whether you end up loving or hating it you are pretty much guaranteed to have a strong reaction to this novel and if you ask me that is the most important thing I look for when I'm reading a book. I want to have characters I connect with and care about - even if I don't agree with the decisions they make or their actions.

Abby has moved across the country with her best friend America wanting to start a new life where nobody knows about her past. She is determined to be the good girl, the one who works hard, finishes her homework and doesn't spend her time going out partying. The last thing she expects or wants is to attract the attention of Travis - the campus bad boy, king of one night stands and boy every girl wants to be with. But with America dating Travis's best friend Shepley they are thrown together socially. Abby has no intention of being another notch on Travis's bed post and is determined to remain immune to his charms but Travis isn't used to being turned down. The very fact that Abby tries to resist him makes him want her even more and when a bet ends up forcing them to spend more and more time together sparks are bound to fly.

I don't want to say too much about the story line because this is a very character driven novel, in fact until towards the end of the book the focus is very much on the developing friendship between Travis and Abby. Do you remember the intensity of your first relationship? When you couldn't stand to be apart for even a minute and everything was so new and exciting? Jamie McGuire has captured that feeling perfectly in Beautiful Disaster, thankfully my first relationship wasn't quite as obsessive as this one but it was just as intense!

You can probably guess from the title that things aren't all plain sailing and at times watching their interactions is almost painful. They both have issues from their pasts and they both behave in inappropriate ways that cause each other pain. I'm never going to say that I agree with some of the things Travis does - he is controlling and has issues with a violent temper (I will point out that he never raises a hand to Abby in case that is something you're worried about) - but I also felt that Abby knew exactly how to push his buttons and at times was trying to provoke a strong reaction in him. That doesn't make his reaction right but I don't think her behaviour was any better. I found myself just as irritated with the way she constantly played Travis and Parker off against each other as I was with the way Travis reacted to it.

When their relationship works it really is wonderful to watch but when things go wrong you'll find yourself unable to look away from the horror of it. In a lot of ways Beautiful Disaster works as a "how not to have a successful relationship" guide because I certainly wouldn't want to encourage anyone to emulate or accept behaviour like either Travis's or Abby's but that doesn't make it any less engaging to read about them. I think most of us are capable of separating reality and fantasy and I have to confess I had fallen for Travis in spite of his issues by the end of the book. I think this quote from one of their friends (I think it was Shep but I didn't make a note of who said it) sums up their relationship perfectly:

"You're a goddamn tornado! When you're happy, it's love and peace and butterflies. When you're pissed, you take the whole fucking world down with you!"

Beautiful Disaster is an addictive read, it is a story that you will obsess over with complex and flawed characters who you will love and hate with equal intensity. It's been a while since I had such a strong connection to characters in this age range and I can't tell you how excited I am to read the sequel when it releases next year. Walking Disaster will be the same story but told from Travis's point of view (although it will also include extra scenes) and I can't wait to get inside his head and understand exactly what he was thinking during the major events!

Source: Initially received from publisher via NetGalley but I also received a print copy from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Immortally Yours - Angie Fox

IN THE WAR BETWEEN THE GODS...

No one patches up the incoming wounded like Dr. Petra Robichaud. Recruited by the gods for her uncanny medical skills, she’s the best M*A*S*H surgeon in the army. Along with a nosy guard sphinx,vegetarian werewolf, and other paranormal paramedics, she bandages soldiers who are built like Greek gods (literally). But when one sexy immortal ends up on her operating table—half dead and totally to-die-for—Petra’s afraid she’ll lose her patient and her heart...

NOTHING IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN LOVE

Commander Galen of Delphi is one gorgeous but stubborn demi-god. When his spirit tries to slip out of his fatally wounded body, Dr. Petra has to slip it back in—unwittingly revealing her ability to see ghosts. Now that Galen knows her secret, he’s convinced she’s part of an ancient prophecy. If the oracles are right, Petra could lead Galen’s army to peace. And if he seduces her on the way to hell and back? Heaven knows—all’s fair in love and war...

Monster M*A*S*H Series:
Immortally Yours
Immortally Embraced
Immortally Ever After (August 2013)

Visit Angie Fox's website or the Paranormal News Network website for more information

Review:
With war raging between the old gods and the new gods humanity is caught in the crossfire and if you are chosen to join one of the armies then there is no escaping. Dr Petra Robichaud was recruited by the new gods to serve as a medic and it is her job to patch up the soldiers and get them back to the front lines as quickly as possible. When Commander Galen of Delphi ends up nearly dying on her operating table Petra risks all to save him. Galen survives but he is convinced that Petra is the subject of an ancient prophecy and that she could bring peace and end the war the gods have been raging for hundreds of years. Is Petra brave enough to risk her life again for the chance of peace? As Galen wins her heart and heads back to the front lines can she afford not to?

I have heard great things about Angie Fox's Demon Slayer series and have had the first book on my wish list for ages so when I was offered a review copy of the first book in her new series I jumped at the chance of reading Immortally Yours. Anyone who has ever seen an episode of the old TV series M*A*S*H will recognise the kind of setting for the story - a mobile military hospital where the doctors are working out of tents and without access to all the latest technology. You'll also recognise the kind of humour between the staff, the way they are constantly trying to play pranks on the base commander and each other. Throw in a plethora of different paranormal creatures, each with their own quirks and you're in for a hilarious read. This is the kind of book that you pick up and start reading and can't help but wonder why nobody has come up with the idea before. Luckily Angie Fox now has and we get to enjoy the results!

Petra is a great main character, as a human she is physically weaker than those around her and the idea of being the person mentioned in the prophecy terrifies her. The last thing she needs is the weight of the world upon her shoulders, especially when she has a secret that if revealed will mean an instant death sentence. I loved the way Galen was so determined to get her to admit her ability - almost as determined as she was to hide it. The way she tried everything in her power to avoid him in spite of the attraction between them and the way things kept conspiring to throw them together was hilarious. Galen was very much an alpha who wanted to take control of every situation but Petra didn't make it easy for him and I really enjoyed the will they / won't they chase before anything happened between them. It was also great to see the relationships between Petra and her other co-workers but particularly her room mates, werewolf Rodger and vampire Marius. Conversations between the three of them never failed to make me laugh out loud.

Although Immortally Yours is set in a supernatural battlefield with the doctors constantly battling to save the lives of seriously injured soldiers the tone of the story is actually quite light hearted. The humour in the story is more than enough to lighten the tone and barely a page went by without me chuckling to myself as I read. I had already heard that Angie Fox writes great feel good and amusing paranormal romances and that has certainly been proved correct with this book. I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series but this has also made me even more keen to check out her previous stories.Whether you're a fan of the M*A*S*H TV series or not if you're looking for a paranormal romance that will make you laugh out loud then this is well worth reading. If you want to get a feel for the story check out the Paranormal News Network website created by the author based on the news program the camp watch to find out the latest news about the prophecy.

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

London 2012 Olympic Geek Out - The hunt for Wenlock & Mandeville!

OK I know this is mainly a book blog and I don't often talk about non book related topics but I couldn't resist a quick post about the London Olympics. I know, I know the Olympics & Paralympics finished weeks ago but I've been moving house and time has flown away with me! Anyway, I was really disappointed that I didn't manage to get tickets to see any of the events, especially since it was practically on my doorstep, but I think we did ourselves proud. The opening ceremony was amazing, all of the participating athletes were fantastic and the volunteers did a superb job. I enjoyed watching as much of it as possible on the TV even though I couldn't be there in person.

Now this post isn't really about the Olympic events - it's actually about the Discovery Trails around London to go on a treasure hunt for the Olympic Mascots Wenlock and Mandeville. It all started when Kirsty (from The Overflowing Library) and I spotted a couple of Wenlock statues at random while we were in London for an event. We were back in London a couple of days later and found a few more and then someone told us that there were 6 different maps you could follow to find them all. I'm not going to even suggest that Kirsty has geeky tendencies I'll just say it blatantly, she does, but then so do I so of course we had to print of the maps and see how many of them we could find!

I know a few people have asked to see pictures of them all and I thought that some of you might like to see the routes so I've included the trail maps along with slideshows of the statues.

Blue Trail

Distance - 4.4 kilometres / 2.7 miles
16 Wenlock & Mandeville Statues

Kirsty and I started off with the Blue Trail which took us on a route from near London Bridge, along past the Globe Theatre, over the Millenium Bridge, past St Paul's Cathedral, along by Monument (where the Great Fire of London started in 1666) and down to the Tower of London. This took us around a part of London that I'd not been to for years, I have vague memories of a trip to the Tower as a child but enjoyed getting to explore the area again as an adult. We also rather enjoyed looking at the hot guys in suits who were walking around the city on their lunch breaks! We managed to track down all 16 Wenlocks and Mandevilles on the trail and it was impressive to see how different they all were.

Green Trail

Distance - 3.7 kilometres / 2.3 miles
11 Wenlock & Mandeville Statues

Next up was the Green Trail around Regent's Park, this was a lovely scenic route and it was a beautiful sunny day so it was quite relaxing strolling around the park. It wasn't quite so easy to follow the route because we weren't always sure which path to take but there were quite a few families also taking part in the search so when in doubt we followed everyone else and we managed to find all 11 statues.

Unfortunately we were too tired to complete any other maps that day and then Kirsty had to head back home to Norfolk so she didn't get to carry on the search. We had managed to find a few random statues from other maps though so she may crop up in a few more pictures. I would like to point out that the search was in no way responsible for Kirsty's broken leg - in fact she did tell me that if she'd stayed a few days longer so we could have gone back to London and continued the hunt then she probably wouldn't have broken it in the first place!

I'm going to show just how geeky I am now by telling you that I couldn't leave the search unfinished. After all that effort to find the ones we had I was determined to get pictures of the remaining statues. In the end I convinced my Dad to spend a day up in London with me so we could complete the remaining 4 maps.

Yellow Trail

Distance - 3.2 kilometres / 2 miles
16 Wenlock & Mandeville Statues

Dad & I decided to start with the Yellow Trail which took us around Liverpool Street Station, through Spitalfields Market, down Brick Lane and along past Whitechapel through to Aldgate and Leadenhall Market. I didn't know this area at all so it was nice to explore a new part of London.

Red Trail

Distance - 4.8 kilometres / 3 miles
13 Wenlock & Mandeville Statues

The Red Trail took us across Westminster Bridge and around by the London Eye before walking along the river opposite Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, we walked past Lambeth Palace and over Lambeth bridge before walking along behind the Houses of Parliament to Westminster Abbey. This is an area of London that I've been around quite a few times in the past but I really enjoyed walking along by the river taking pictures. We got some great photos of some of the statues with Big Ben in the background and it just made for a pleasant stroll.

Pink Trail

Distance - 2.6 kilometres / 1.6 miles
13 Wenlock & Mandeville Statues

The Pink Trail starts in Covent Garden although we actually did the route in the wrong order starting near Embankment Tube Station. Because I usually get the train into Charing Cross I know this area quite well, I've been to Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden loads of times and we walk right past Leicester Square on our way to Foyles whenever we're in London but in all the times I've been in that area I'd never walked through the park by Embankment before. It was really nice to find such a peaceful little corner of London that I'd not visited before and it would make a lovely spot to sit and eat lunch in the summer.

Purple Trail

Distance - 3.4 kilometres / 2.1 miles
13 Wenlock & Mandeville Statues

I have to admit my feet were killing me before we even started the Purple Trail (in fact I think I'd had blisters on the soles of my feet from near the beginning of the Pink Trail!) but at that point I'd managed to find 69 of the 82 statues and nothing in the world would have made me give up before finding the remaining 13! We did most of this trail at a pace that a snail would be embarrassed to slither along at & I'm honestly not sure how I made it to the end but it was worth it when we found the final Mandeville! This route took us around Piccadilly and right past the giant Waterstone's that is a regular blogger haunt when we're meeting up in London but that was the only part I was familiar with. It took us through Berkeley Square up past Mayfair and Grosvenor Square, along Bond Street and down Regents Street (past Hamleys toy shop) back to Piccadilly Circus.

It was an utterly exhausting day but we had a lot of fun discovering new areas of London and even different ways to get around the city. Unfortunately the Wenlock & Mandeville statues have been removed now (they were sold by auction to raise money for charity) but I would highly recommend doing any of these kind of treasure hunts in the future (I believe there have been hunts in the past for elephants and Faberge eggs but I missed those ones). This was a fun way to feel like we were taking part in the Olympics without having tickets and we saw loads of different families taking part in the searches.

So I think I've proved my membership to the geeky club but I'm proud to say I tracked down and took photos of 82 Wenlock and Mandevilles over the space of two days. If you happened to be in London during the Olympics I'd love to know if you spotted any of them. Did you follow the trails or just find them at random? Or have you done any of the previous hunts? I'd love to hear more about them!

Review: Poison Princess - Kresley Cole

She could save the world—or destroy it.

Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can’t do either alone.

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can’t totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side…

The Arcana Chronicles:
Poison Princess
Endless Knight
Dead of Winter
Day Zero (Novella)
Arcana Rising
The Dark Calling (2017)

Visit Kresley Cole's website or The Arcana Chronicles website for more information

Review:
Evie has been suffering with hallucinations that were bad enough to have her admitted to a mental institute. Although she has been sent home and allowed to return to school she finds that the visions are worse than ever. Afraid to let anyone know what is happening she struggles to act normal in front of her friends. Then her visions of an apocalypse become reality as the world goes through an event called "The Flash" that destroys most of the population. Evie's visions haven't stopped but they have changed and she is struggling to understand what they mean. Her only hope is to travel to her Grandmother - the only person who never thought she was crazy - and ask for help. Jackson may have been her enemy at school but he is the only person she has to turn to now and he reluctantly agrees to help her. The pair set out on a journey across the country but will they find the answers Evie so desperately needs?

As a fan of Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series Poison Princess was an automatic must read for me but even if it wasn't already on my radar the fantastic cover and blurb would have put it there. A new dystopian series with characters based on the Major Arcana cards from a Tarot deck, each with different supernatural abilities and all with a role to play in the apocalypse. A spunky heroine and a hot Cajun hero. Throw in the fact that it was written by one of my favourite adult paranormal romance authors and what's not to love about it? If you're looking for a story with complex world building, characters that are so full of depth they could practically step out of the pages at any moment and a plot so full of intrigue, shocks and more twists than a labyrinth that it will have you gripped from the first page to the last then look no further. Poison Princess has all that and much, much more and has definitely allowed Kresley Cole to enter the YA market with a bang!

Evie has always been a bit of a pampered princess, born to a wealthy family she had all the right clothes and everything she needed to be counted as part of the popular crowd. Apart from her hallucinations nothing has prepared her for the apocalypse and she is completely out of her comfort zone when it comes to her own survival. She is pretty much the complete opposite of Jackson, where he is strong and self reliant she is lost and afraid, but don't take her lack of skills for weakness. She shows over and over again her determination to not only survive but also to protect others throughout the story. Jack is an irresistible, motorbike riding, Cajun bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks who has an accent to die for. He can come across as a complete ass at times but really he is a sweetie and he is very protective of Evie. Jack and Evie have that perfect kind of love / hate relationship - the kind where they spend half the time on the verge of tearing strips off of each other and the rest wanting to rip each others clothes off! I have one word for the chemistry between them and that's smouldering, all it's going to take is one tiny spark to ignite a fire that is going to burn everyone in their vicinity and I for one can't wait to see it happen.

Poison Princess is a fantastic start to the Arcana Chronicles, it introduces us to a fabulous collection of characters and some incredibly detailed world building. The way the story unfolds will leave you on the edge of your seat and make it impossible not to carry on reading. I don't think I've ever been so shocked by the twists a book took as I was with this one - you really never can tell what will happen next. I love Evie, I adore Jack and I can't wait to spend more time with them both in the next instalment. I would recommend this to anyone young or old, if you're already a Kresley Cole fan then don't miss this exciting new adventure. If you are new to her work then this is a great place to start and something that any fans of dystopian / post apocalyptic fiction will love - especially if you're looking for something a bit different to all those other dystopian stories that are currently flooding the market.

Source: Received from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review.

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Hardback / Kindle:

Winner: Her Warrior Angel - Felicity Heaton

With the help of Random.org I am happy to announce the winner of an ebook copy of Her Warrior Angel by Felicity Heaton is:

Salena H

Congratulations! I have forwarded your email address to Felicty Heaton so that she can send you your ebook. I'd like to say a massive thanks to Felicity for allowing me to host this giveaway for her.